The Testament To True Strength
by KnightWriterRLK
Summary: After the Grand Magic Games and the celebration after they arrived back at Magnolia Lucy goes on what she thought was a simple request. Lucy then ends up in the Celestial Spirit World where her life changes forever. New Powers, New Friends, New Enemies, New Struggles, And Inner Strength Is Tested. Rated M Because Of Possible Blood. Romance Will Be Added Later On.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: This is my first FanFiction Story, and I'm excited. There maybe pairings that you would come to realize, but this story isn't about that... at the moment. GaLe, NaLu, Miraxus, etc. Please bare with my inexperience at writing stories.**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN FAIRY TAIL AND ANY OF THE CHARACTERS, IDEAS, ETC. THE RIGHTS GO TO THE BRILLIANT "HIRO MASHIMA". I'M GONNA BORROW THE NAMES OF PLACES, AND MONSTERS/CREATURES, BECAUSE IT'S HARD MAKING UP NEW NAMES FOR PLACES, AND IT'S EVEN HARDER TO MAKE UP A NEW MONSTER/CREATURE THAT HASN'T BEEN THOUGHT UP OR USED YET.**

**CLAIMER: However, I'll Add Original Characters, And Monsters That May Seem Odd, And I'll Add Interesting Places, As Well As Other Interesting Groups, And Ideas.**

* * *

**(The events in this story takes place after the Grand Magic Games and the whole incident with the 7 Dragons)**

**Chapter One: The Unknown Key**

_**~ Begins Within The Home Of Fairy Tail's Celestial Spirit Wizard ~**_

* * *

~ Lucy's POV ~

It was the start of another day as Lucy woke up with a smile on her face as she recalled the night of revelry she had. The Guild's celebration and welcome back party last night was a very enjoyable and interesting one to say the least. It was probably the most loudest and rowdiest of all the celebrations that she's ever been in during her time in Fairy Tail. 'Why wouldn't it be?', she thought to herself. They just came back from Crocus after the Grand Magic Games and winning the covenant title of _"Fiore's #1 Guild". _It's been 7 years since Fairy Tail was the strongest. They won back and earned that title once again. Lucy couldn't have been anymore happier.

'Hmmm...well I could be, if I had won my match against Flare.', her conscience telling herself as she frowned. Lucy quickly got out of her bed and walked over to her kitchen to prepare herself some breakfast. As she sat down to start eating, a lingering thought kept crossing her mind. 'Why didn't I win? Am I weak? Did I help my team at all during the games?', her thoughts raced around these questions, but she quickly shook them away and continued eating. She finished eating breakfast and went to her bathroom to take her morning shower and perform her hygienic ritual. When she got out of the bathroom with a damp towel wrapped around her body and another for her hair, she quickly went over to her dresser to grab a different outfit that she thought of wearing today. She thought that a difference in clothing might help her feel better today.

She dried her hair and combed it down. She dressed herself in a white sleeveless buttoned-down top with a black heart on the left side of the top which coincidentally situates atop her left breast and with blue and red criss-cross patterns all around as if hemmed there by random, a black and white plaid miniskirt which stops just above her knees, white socks, black boots, a blue brassiere and matching underwear, her signature belt which held her keys and whip. She then looked herself over in the mirror and grabbed two green ribbons to tie her hair up in her usual hairstyle, which consists of it being in pigtails. With her look complete, she grabbed a green bag that had her traveling money, and a change of clothes. She felt happy with what she picked and swiftly walked outside her door, locking it, and then headed straight towards the Guild, hoping that her favorite person in the world would be there to help cheer her up.

Before she walked into the Guild, she expected there to be a fight like there usually was, but what she saw was far from what she expected.

"Hi Lucy, Good Morning.", greeted Mirajane.

"Hey Mira, thanks, good morning to you too. Where is everyone?", she asked while scanning the entire Guild Hall to find only Mira attending the bar, Cana and Gildarts talking to each other in one of the tables, and Master Makarov sitting on the bar with his eyes focused on this weeks' cover of _"Sorcerer's Weekly"._

_"_They're either on missions, hungover at their respective homes, or they may still be resting after last night.", Mira replied with a smile, as she was wiping a mug with a white cloth.

"Oh okay...", Lucy said back. 'Maybe I should just go on a solo mission then since no one else is here yet. I can't wait for Natsu and the rest of them to show up. It may take hours and I don't feel like standing around.' Lucy thought to herself and she then decided to go on alone. She quickly went over towards the request board with a determined look on her face and found a request to her liking. It payed 200,000 jewels and it was to look for a lost item in the forest around Crocus. She went over to Mirajane and showed her the paper with the request.

"Wow Lucy, I thought you'd wait for at least one of your teammates before taking on a job.", said Mira.

"It may take a few hours if I wait, and I don't have the patience today. I feel like doing something by myself, you know?"

"Yeah, I know what you mean. Who knows when the party died down last night. You're approved. Let me just write it down on the log book and you'll be good to go." When Mira finished scribbling down on the book, she looked up at Lucy and gave her a winning smile and said, "Good Luck and come back safely."

Lucy smiled back and said, "Thanks, I'll be back later."

* * *

~ Mirajane's POV ~

Mira waited until the doors were closed and told Master Makarov, "That was rather un-Lucy like of her, don't you think?"

"Did you see that look in her eyes earlier? If I had to guess, then I'd say that our Lucy wants to become stronger."

"I just hope that she doesn't do anything reckless. I know that she lost in her match at the Games, but she shouldn't be too hard on herself. She tried her best. She only lost because the right people didn't see the outside interference.", Mira said with a worried face.

"Don't be too worried. She's not like Natsu. She thinks before she acts. We know that she can handle herself quite well, and all we can do for her now is to hope for the best."

"You're right.", Mira said with confidence and a lingering concern showing in her face and the sound of her voice.

* * *

~ Lucy's POV ~

Lucy arrived at Crocus by train, after the several hours she rode in it, bored out of her mind. She then got off the train and headed for the location of the person that requested the job. After 15 minutes, she arrived at the front of an antique store with a bland sign saying, "The One And Only Antique Store In Crocus", and then walked inside to find an old man behind the counter greet her with a smile.

"Hello there young one, how may I help you?

"Hi, my name's Lucy. I'm from Fairy Tail, and I'm here about the request that you sent us.", she said with a smile as she showed him the Fairy Tail symbol on her right hand.

"Ahhh yes, that's right. I'm Goranthe, and I'm the owner of this fine store. I'd like for you to find a special antique key for me. It's a topaz colored key with unknown runes etched into it. The caravan that was headed here with more antiques was attacked by Spectral Wolves a few miles northeast of the city. No one was hurt too badly and the Wizards we hired did their job. The odd thing is that when the fight was over, and after they investigated the battlefield and recounted for and checked the caravan, everything was accounted for, but the only thing that was missing was that key which was locked safely inside a specially crafted box that concealed magical energy."

"Why would Spectral Wolves take something like that? Why was it inside a box like that? What is this key?", Lucy fired off her questions with curiosity laced in her voice.

"Well that's the odd thing. I don't know. Those antiques were sent here because my friend who collects them wanted to know if they held any value, history, and any magical properties. It's not odd to come across unknown magical items every now and again, but I've never heard of that type of monster in particular ever being attracted to magical items."

"That's true. Okay. I'll try to find this key for you. Thanks for telling me as much as you can about it. I hope I can solve this mystery and get that key back."

"You're welcome young one, please take care.", said Goranthe, as he smiled and waved goodbye.

"Thanks, I will", said Lucy, as she waved back while smiling. She then headed to the direction that the old man; Goranthe, told her while thinking of a strategy as to how to find such an item. 'I'll just backtrack to where the attack occurred and I'll start from there.', she decided.

* * *

~ Lucy's POV ~

Lucy arrived at the area and found traces of a battle all along the route and walked to where it started. She reached for two of her Golden Zodiac Gate Keys and raised them both in her left hand.

**"Open, Gate of The Lion and The Archer, **

**Leo and Sagittarius." **

Two bright golden lights appeared, after she called her spirits and as the lights faded, she smiled as she saw her two spirits there standing in front of her.

"What shall we do for you? Moshi-moshi", Sagittarius asked while saluting Lucy.

"Yes Princess, how can we be of service?", Leo added with a flirty smile.

"I need both of you to help me look for a key. The antique store owner told me that it's a topaz key etched with runes. Spectral Wolves attacked a caravan carrying antiques, but that key is the only thing that they took." After Lucy was finished, both of her Celestial Spirits looked at each other as if they knew something about it. Lucy caught it and promptly asked them with a questioning tone, "What was that look? Do you two know anything about this key?"

"We aren't exactly the right spirits to ask. Moshi-moshi.", Sagittarius stated.

"I'll go back to the Spirit World so that you can talk to Crux as soon as you summon him. He started researching it as soon as you mentioned it to us.", Leo said. Leo then disappeared in a flash of golden lights.

Lucy grabbed Crux's key, raised it with her left hand and said,

**"Open, Gate of The Southern Cross, **

**Crux." **

A golden light appeared and as it dissipated, she sees Crux floating in the air with his legs crossed while dozing off, but she knows that he's actually searching for information about the key.

"Ahhh..., that's interesting!", Crux shouted and told Lucy, as he woke up from his research.

"What? What is it Crux?", she asked.

"That key seems to be a very powerful Gate Key that'll allow certain Celestial Wizards to visit a secluded part of the Celestial Spirit World. It emits very powerful amounts of magical energy. Be careful if you ever come into contact with it. You never know what might happen when a Celestial Wizard like you holds it. That's all the information that I could find.", Crux answered.

"That's very interesting. I hope we can find it. Thanks Grandpa Crux."

"You're welcome. Call me when you need more info on other things, bye for now, I've got some sleep to catch up on.", and as Crux finished what he said, he disappeared in a flurry of golden lights.

**"Open, Gate of The Lion, **

**Leo." **

Leo appeared again in front of Lucy.

"That was more info than I thought he'd find.", said Leo.

"That's alright.", Lucy smiled at them both. "Let's find it first, then we'll worry about the details later."

They followed Lucy as she walked into the forest where a trail of footprints that looked like they belonged to a four-legged monster led them through a darker part of the forest. They kept walking for what seemed like 30 minutes until they heard a rustling sound. They then heard growls all around them. They put their backs against each other, so as to not leave any openings in their flanks. Sagittarius readied his bow with an arrow drawn, Leo was in his battle stance, and Lucy got her whip; Fleuve d'étoiles, ready in hand.

"I see 6 Spectral Wolves in front of me. Moshi-moshi"

"There's 8 in my side. How about you Princess?"

"I've got 5 to deal with. They're getting closer. Are you ready, you two?", she asked with a smile.

"Yes.", they both answered.

And as if on cue, the wolves attacked all at once. Sagittarius shot one arrow after another at the incoming wolves, making sure that they get taken down with only one shot by aiming at their heads, while Leo took down a few with his powerful kicks and punches. Lucy kicked one wolf in the jaw knocking it out and lashed out with her whip to keep the other ones at bay.

**"Regulus Punch."**

After Leo chanted those words, his left fist glowed and then he launched his attack, taking out 5 wolves at once.

A wolf almost bit Lucy when it launched at her, but then she tried something that she always wanted to. She jumped onto the wolf as if it was a springboard, she then launched into the air and lashed her whip at the remaining wolves' eyes, blinding them. She then landed on top of two wolves, knocking them out, and then she wrapped her whip around one of the blinded wolves and used her momentum to throw it at the last blinded wolf. She and her spirits took out the rest of the wolves, making sure none escaped them.

"That was easier than I thought.", Lucy said, after wiping some sweat of her brow. "Let's search all these wolves before any of the ones that aren't dead wake up and attack us again."

After a few minutes of searching, Leo walked over to Lucy and handed her a key that matched the description that Goranthe gave her. "We'll see you later Lucy. We've been here long enough. You need to replenish your magic energy. Call us anytime.", said Leo.

"Until we meet again. Moshi-moshi."

"Thanks you two.", she said while smiling at them.

They then vanished in a display of golden lights. Lucy dropped her gaze and looked at the peculiar looking key in her right hand. Before she could start walking back to Crocus, the runes etched on the key started glowing brighter and she felt a tug on her wrist. She tried to let go of the key, but she couldn't. She was tugged deeper into the forest by a force that she couldn't explain. After a minute of being dragged against her will, the tugging feeling stopped, and Lucy found herself at a clearing in the forest. A blinding light took away Lucy's sight for a few seconds and when she got it back, she found herself staring at a towering azure gate that radiated magical energy in the middle of the clearing. 'This is not looking good for me. And it seems like I can't use magic or scream for help.', Lucy realized. The only thing she could do was look shocked, scared, and panic silently. The gates opened slowly and Lucy felt the tugging feeling come back. She was swiftly pulled into the gates and they closed behind her. The gates suddenly disappear in the clearing as if nothing happened...

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**So How Was It So Far? Reviews And PMs Are Appreciated. Thank You For Reading. Please Review.**

****\- KnightWriterRLK Signing Off For Now****

****This chapter has been updated, and proofread on (04/18/2015)****

****WARNING! SPORADIC UPDATES. I HAVE A VERY COMPLICATED SCHEDULE.****


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: I felt like writing more after I slept. This is the 2nd chapter that'll be a side glance at what happened at the Guild after Lucy left, but it'll mostly focus on Lucy and what happened to her.**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN FAIRY TAIL AND ANY OF THE CHARACTERS, IDEAS, ETC. THE RIGHTS GO TO THE BRILLIANT "HIRO MASHIMA". THE SPECTRAL WOLVES FROM CHAPTER 1 WERE CREATURES FROM WORLD OF WARCRAFT. IT WASN'T MINE. I'M GONNA BORROW THE NAMES OF PLACES, AND MONSTERS/CREATURES, BECAUSE IT'S HARD MAKING UP NEW NAMES FOR PLACES, AND IT'S EVEN HARDER TO MAKE UP A NEW MONSTER/CREATURE THAT HASN'T BEEN THOUGHT UP OR USED YET.**

**CLAIMER: However, I'll Add Original Characters, And Monsters That May Seem Odd, And I'll Add Interesting Places, As Well As Other Interesting Groups, And Ideas.**

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**Chapter Two: The Spirit Sages**

_**~ Begins In An Unknown Area In The Celestial Spirit World ~**_

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~ Lucy's POV ~

As Lucy was pulled into the gates, a mirage of lights barraged her eye sight. The lights from what looked like a billion stars shined brilliantly and danced around her frame. When she heard the gates close behind her, the lights faded and she found herself standing in what looked like a court in the middle of a grassy field, except the grass was the color of stars, and what made up the court were different types of stones standing in differing heights all around the grassy field. She recognized the colors and hues of the different stones, but there were also some that she had never seen before. She looked up at the sky and what she saw baffled her. The stars themselves in the night sky shined more radiantly than any other night she'd seen before. She recollected the vision before her to be similar to when she and her friends were pulled into the Celestial Spirit World that one time for a surprise welcome back party thrown by her spirits and the Celestial Spirit King himself. She knew that she was in the Celestial Spirit World, but that's all she knew. She doesn't know why she's here or what force pulled her in here. She's never heard of or read of a phenomenon like this occurring before. The key that she couldn't release from her hand earlier left her grasp and floated a few feet above her head. A wave of blinding blue orbs shot out from it and floated as if suspended on air all around her. They then combined together into a whirlwind of light until the lights faded and a cloaked figure was standing in front of her just a few feet away. The figure was cloaked in a hooded robe that seemed as if it was sewn out of the very fabric of space itself with stars and nebulae included. The figure was holding a cane made of stars that emitted a faint golden aura in its right hand that looked like it was made of wood and it's eyes glowed like a red dwarf star.

"Who..who are you? What am I doing here? What do you want?", Lucy asked with a scared and panicked look on her face. When the words left her mouth she realized that she got her voice back.

An ominous disembodied voice came from the hooded figure as it spoke. The figure answered, "I am Oni one of the Spirit Sages of old...you have been brought here because the stars guided you...to us and we would be honored if you accept...our proposal to teach you more about your brand of...Celestial Magic. We know who you are Lucy Heartfilia, we...know you are the daughter of the late Layla Heartfilia...and the late Jude Heartfilia two of the most gifted Celestial Wizards...that we have ever seen..."

A look of curiosity and hesitation replaced her look of panic and fear. "What do you mean by the stars guided me to...wait...us?", Lucy then quickly looked around to see that she's surrounded by at least a dozen figures wearing the same looking robes, but the similarities stopped from there. The different figures each held a different weapon that glowed a different colored aura in their right hands and their pairs of eyes were each a set of different colors. She then asked, "How come you know my parents? And what do you mean by my brand of Celestial Magic?"

The same sounding voice came from a different direction. "I shall answer that question for you. I am Duet.", a figure walked over from her right while holding a sword made of stars that glowed a faint green aura and stood near the one called Oni. Her bright azure eyes met Lucy's hazel ones and she began speaking once again. "We know your parents because they were both an apprentice of ours so many years ago. They mastered the magic that we taught them and left our apprenticeship because they were ready. Your brand of Celestial Magic is a Holder-type, yes?"

"Yes it is, but isn't Celestial Magic just a Holder-type magic which requires us Celestial Wizards to use gate keys to summon our contracted spirits?"

"You are half-right, but what many don't know is that Celestial Magic is very flexible. It could allow you to be a Caster-type Wizard if given the proper knowledge and training. You'll also be a more different and formidable Holder-type Wizard too.", a figure from her left walked up and joined Oni and Duet. This figure had the same sounding voice, however this figure had white eyes and was holding a whip made out of stars that glowed a faint purple aura. "Do you see this weapon I have in my hand? It's made out of my own magic. It's my weapon of choice, but what's special about it is that it's connected to the power of one of my spirits and it's connected to the power of the stars. My name is Cross by the way." Cross then lashed out her whip at an empty space near them and a golden light appeared out of nowhere. A Celestial Spirit with a whip appeared out of that light. The female spirit had a red ribbon tying her long flowing blue hair at the back into a ponytail, brown eyes, pale skin, and she was dressed in a maid's outfit similar to Virgo's and with matching shoes to complete her look.

"How may I serve you Mistress?", it asked Cross with a gentle bow.

"That will be all Vlati. I was just demonstrating something to Lucy here. You may go now."

"Okay, thank you Mistress.", the spirit named Vlati then disappeared after her last statement and bow towards Cross, Lucy, and the rest of them into a mirage of golden lights leaving Lucy with an amazed expression stuck on her face.

The amazed expression on her face was still there and a had a twinkle appeared in her eyes. She was very interested in learning more. If it means that she'll become stronger then all the more reason to learn.

"We see that expression and the twinkle in your eyes. Your mom had the same reaction.", Duet chimed in.

"We know that your interested in learning more , but first...you must heed our warning before we begin your training. This special secluded area in the Celestial Spirit World is called...The Floating Courts Of The Sages and in here time...is reversed. You know that anywhere else in this world...1 day equals 3 months in Earthland, but...here in these Courts. 1 day in Earthland...equals 3 months time in here. It's a great training...area, but the repercussions are severe. Your magic power is...cut in half. Your abilities are cut in half as...well. Your ability to recover also suffers the same fate.", Oni informed her.

"It's worth it though, and you'll feel more energized and stronger after your training.", Duet beamed at her. "The training took both your mother and father 9 months in here. A noteworthy feat because everyone else that we've ever taught took at least a year and at most 2 years. The 9 months you spend here will be 3 days lost in the human world, but you'll be better off for it. That's also if you complete your training in record time like your parents did."

"I'll do it. I'm ready. When can we start?", Lucy asked with determination in her voice and features that reminded the Sages about Lucy's parents.

"Right now.", Cross answered while taking down her hood to reveal her face to Lucy.

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~ Natsu's POV ~

"That was some party last night, eh Happy?"

"Aye sir.", Happy answered Natsu.

"I can't believe we slept that long. Before we go to the Guild, let's go drop by Lucy's place and see if we can get some breakfast.", Natsu suggested with a toothy grin.

"Aye sir, that sounds like a good plan."

As they arrived in front of Lucy's house, Happy grabs onto Natsu and flies him up towards the window. They climb into the window that Lucy never leaves closed anymore knowing that Natsu and Happy both use it to get into her apartment anyway. They climb in to find no one at home. Natsu sniffs the air while Happy flies around the room.

"Hey Happy, it seems like Lucy isn't here. I can smell her, but it's a faint smell. She's been here a few hours ago. Let's follow the scent."

"Aye, lets go." Happy then lifts Natsu up and flies right outside through the window that they came in.

"The scent is going to the Guildhall, let's go Happy"

"Aye.", Happy replies and flies at a normal speed towards their Guildhall.

Happy drops Natsu in front of the doors and enters with him.

"Good Afternoon Natsu, and you too Happy.", Mirajane beamed at them from behind the bar as she was serving up some drinks.

The Guildhall was half full with his guild mates who greeted them as they came in. They both waved at them and sat at the bar waiting for Mira to walk towards them.

"Hey Mira, have you seen Lucy?", Natsu asked.

"She wasn't in her place because we just came from there.", added Happy.

Mira walked towards them after taking care of the last of the orders. "She went on a request by herself 4 hours ago. She didn't want to wait around knowing that everyone else slept late because of the party. She was the first one to go home last night."

"What request did she take Mira?", asked Erza joining in on the conversation and sitting down next to Natsu.

"It was a request to find a missing item from an antique owner from Crocus. The payoff is 200,000 jewels.", she answered.

"Why'd she go alone? Aren't we a team?", Natsu asked with a disappointed tone and an obvious frown.

"Don't be too upset Flame-brain.", Gray said mockingly while joining in and standing next to Erza. "She can go on whatever requests she wants. She can handle herself."

"Shut up Snow-breath!", Natsu bellowed at Gray as he got off the stool and raised his fists with flames at the ready.

Erza got up from her chair and put Natsu in a headlock while saying, "Relax Natsu, Gray is right. Lucy can handle herself. We can do an easy request in the meantime while waiting for her."

"I'm up for that.", Gray said putting his hands behind his head while grinning at Natsu passing out in Erza's submissive move.

As Natsu passed out, Erza, Gray, and Mirajane shared a look of worry and the same thought came across their minds. 'I hope Lucy's okay.'

Mirajane then went back to serving drinks, while Erza and Gray walked over to the request board with an unconscious Natsu carried by Happy flying overhead. They all know that the loss that Lucy suffered against Raven Tail's Flare cut her self-esteem in half. They worried over her well being and state of mind, but all they could do was try to help her stand up and stay strong. They know that Lucy is strong in her own right, but they know what it feels like to lose an important battle after giving it your all. They hope that she'll pull through in the end and be back to be the same Lucy that they all know and love.

* * *

~ Lucy's POV ~

(15 minutes of Reflex/Senses/And Agility training with Cross has passed. They're both at a field near the court of the Sages where they started training.)

"Damn that hurt.", Lucy blurted out as she panted and wiped more sweat from her face.

"The purpose of this exercise is to help you heighten your senses, increase your reflexes, and agility.",Cross told her with an amused smile on her face. Her voice changed to a much gentler and feminine tone when she removed her hood.

Lucy looked at the pale and gorgeous face of the white eyed, blond-haired beauty that is the Sage named Cross in front of her. She looks like she's in her early 30's. "You look like you're enjoying this too much.", Lucy accused her.

"I actually am. It's been years since we trained a Celestial Wizard.", after her reply, Cross lashed out at Lucy with her whip trying to hit her. She landed at least 37 strikes in the 15 minutes that they started training.

After Lucy jumped around and dodged her attacks for a minute, she launched herself into the air and ended up 5 feet away from Cross. "I'm guessing that a Celestial Wizard needs to be chosen by the stars and find that key floating above us in order to be trained by you Sages in the 1st place.", Lucy inquired after catching her breath.

"You're half right. They also need to be powerful and have the potential to master this magic, otherwise we won't even bother with them.", Duet informed Lucy with a neutral smile while watching their training.

Cross continued with her onslaught of attacks with a cunning grin slowly crossing her face. Lucy didn't know what was coming until it hit her. Cross summoned another whip in her left hand which looked identical to the one she was using on her right. Cross then lashed out the whip in her right hand at Lucy and it wrapped around her right wrist while the whip at her left hand lashed out at Lucy sending jolts of pain coursing through her body with every hit. When Lucy collapsed on the ground panting and wheezing while rubbing the painful marks on her skin from where Cross hit her, Cross stopped and her whips vanished from both her hands. She then walked up to Lucy and smiled down at her.

"You did pretty well for your first time."

"Thanks...I guess.", Lucy said as she looked up at Cross.

"Here let me help get rid of those wounds." Cross then kneeled in front of Lucy and her left hand went to Lucy's right cheek and her right went to her left shoulder. Cross started chanting the words,

**"Oh The Stars, **

**The Light In The Sky, **

**The Blessings Of Earthland, **

**Heal One Of Your Children: **

**Cura.", **

and as she ended her chant, a soft green light came from Cross's hands and enveloped Lucy. She felt a sweet and tingling sensation on her cuts and bruises. A soft and relaxed breath left her lips as she no longer felt any pain. Her wounds were healed instantly.

"What was that? Thanks Cross. I've never seen that type of Healing Magic before.", Lucy said with a touch of gratitude in her voice and a relaxed smile on her face.

"That was a very powerful healing spell that can only be performed by a skilled Celestial Spirit Wizard. If not cast correctly, it could damage as well as kill the one you're trying to heal. We Sages will teach you this spell and many more, but in the meantime, rest up here for a bit. My fellow Sages and I will decide between ourselves on who will train with you next. Duet over there is preparing some food for later after your done with your first day of training."

Lucy rested up against the cool surface of a marble pillar while eyeing her former injuries. She then looked at Cross's warm smile as she was talking to the other hooded Sages. 'This is gonna be harder than I thought, but it'll be worth it. I hope that Fairy Tail will be all right without me for 9 months...I mean 3 days, but 9 months here. Hopefully I can finish this in 9 months.', she sighed to herself while thinking about how difficult this is going to be. 'I won't back down. I know what I'm doing and I will become strong enough to protect my friends. I will be strong enough to protect Fairy Tail.', she thought to herself with a renewed fire burnied inside her core. She was ready for anything that they'd throw at her.

Cross walked back to Lucy with a smile and said, "It looks like they want me to continue training with you for the day. They also want me to teach you something if you ever last more than 20 minutes and survive with less than 20 lashes from me."

"Sounds like a plan.", Lucy said while standing up and walking back to where they started.

Before they began, Lucy asked her, "So, will I ever see what the rest of them look like under those hoods?"

"You will eventually. You just need to be patient. If you do impress them and if they want to train you, then they'll remove their hoods, reveal their faces and then they'll happily teach you their different specialties. My specialty is Celestial Supportive Magic, Star-Whip Conjuration, and Strike Summons.", she said with a proud grin.

"That sounds amazing. I can't wait for you to teach me your specialties.", she beamed at Cross.

"Okay, enough talk, let's start. Remember you can only dodge until I give you permission to use your weapon.", after Cross said her last command she summoned both of her whips and got ready to attack.

Lucy got into a fighting stance and readied herself for the first attack. Cross didn't waste a single moment. She lashed out trying to do the same thing to Lucy that she did earlier to see if she'd counter with something creative. Lucy ran a few steps forward and when the whips were about to get her, she ducked down and used her feet and hands to jump diagonally to the left while performing a combat-roll. This put a conniving grin on Cross's face. Cross jumped into the air and lashed her whips at Lucy again, but she dodged them. Lucy realized that Cross didn't retract the whips back to her, and instead Cross was getting closer to Lucy. She used the whips and somehow plowed into the ground. She realized that she's using them to pull herself towards Lucy with her legs aiming at her head. Lucy jumped back before she was hit, and landed a few feet away while looking at Cross and amazed by the technique she saw her use. Cross took off her robe and her boots showing Lucy the outfit she was wearing underneath. Cross was wearing a beige colored buttoned down shirt with no sleeves that hugged her amazing curves while showing her bare arms, and she wore a black miniskirt that reached just above her knees showing her voluptuous legs, and white floral designed stockings. Cross was a few inches taller than Lucy and she had long legs and a chest that was more developed than Lucy's.

"I'm surprised that you've dodged all of my attacks until now. I'll have to be more serious. You've got 15 minutes and this time you can fight back.", Cross chided in with a friendly smirk on her face.

"Let's do this!", Lucy shouted with her whip; Fleuve d'étoiles, ready in her right hand.

(15 Minutes Later)

Lucy was gasping for air as her left hand was clutching at her ribs while her right hand still gripped onto her whip. Her clothes were ripped and stained with her own blood, she was exhausted, but she had to stand strong. "I...I c..can't believe anyone could do those things with a w...whip.", she let out while gasping for air." She watched Cross stand in front of her with her whips at her sides, smiling a confident smile that kinda creeped her out. She couldn't even scratch her, let alone get within 2 feet of her.

"I think that's enough for today Lucy. You've done your best, but sadly I've hit you more than 150 times in the last 15 minutes. We'll do this again tomorrow until you can land a single hit or until you can last 20 minutes with me without being hit more than 20 times and then I'll teach you something fun or I could teach you something tomorrow to make our sparring matches even more fun.", Cross said with a smile which was now replaced with a concerned look and a warm smile on her face. "Now let me heal you." Cross chanted the words to the spell that she used on Lucy earlier with her hands on the same places as before.

"Thanks Cross...you were very intimidating like a dem...", before Lucy finished her sentence a girl with long locks of flowing pink hair covered her mouth and tackled her to the ground.

"Shhhhhh, don't call her that word...ever...", the girl told Lucy with a soft voice and a scared look on her face.

"You're welcome Lucy.", said Cross only hearing her say thank you. "And Lia what are you doing to Lucy?", Cross asked the pink-haired girl with a confused look.

"Oh nothing, nothing at all. Hehehehehe...", the girl called Lia answered. Lia then looked at Lucy with glowing green eyes and she put a finger to her mouth. A gesture that she recognized as a sign to be quiet. Lia then stood up and held a hand for Lucy, which she gladly took.

As she got up from the ground, she noticed that Lia was about Wendy's height and she looked to be in her late 20's. She wore the same robes that the Sages wore.

"I'll be meditating for a bit, Lia help Lucy get more acquainted with the rest of the Sages." Cross then turned around and sat with her feet crossed together and closed her eyes. She began floating in mid-air while chanting in a language that Lucy couldn't recognize.

"Please be careful with your words next time. That word is taboo to say when describing Cross.", Lia told Lucy as they walked back to the court.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know.", Lucy replied with a small frown and a tired expression in her face.

"Don't worry about it. I'll explain why it's taboo later. For now, let's join the others. Duet made us a very hefty and delicious feast to commemorate your arrival and first successful day or should I say afternoon of training. You didn't die, which is a good thing.", Lia said proudly while patting her back and smiling.

"That's excellent. I'm hungry...wait did you say...d..die?", Lucy asked with a worried look on her face and a bead of sweat escaping her features.

"There's nothing to be afraid of. Your parents survived their training with us. We expect you to do the same. We also expect for you to have the same or even better results than them from their training. I already put in my bets.", Lia chided with a twinkle in her eyes and a smile on her face.

"Ahhhh...you all bet on me, huh? Hehehehe...", Lucy said half-heartedly with another bead of sweat escaping her. It was hard trying to hide what she felt on the inside. Her emotions were a mix of panic, a dash of regret, with a cup of worry, as she asked herself, 'What did I get myself into?'

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**So Was This Chapter More Interesting? Reviews, Comments, And PMs Are Appreciated. Thank You For Reading.**

**\- KnightWriterRLK Signing Off For Now**


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: I'm gonna write this chapter to the best of my ability. I have more ideas that I'd like to write about. I hope this 3rd chapter will be more enjoyable for you. A Special shout out to my 1st REVIEWER and 2nd FOLLOWER, AnimeLuver778. Thank you for reading and for your comment reviews and for following my story. :) And also for my 1st FOLLOWER manic kitty. Thank you so much you two for following my story. I'll try my best to update for the both of you, and for my other readers wherever you may be. Now onto the story.**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN FAIRY TAIL AND ANY OF THE CHARACTERS, IDEAS, ETC. THE RIGHTS GO TO THE BRILLIANT "HIRO MASHIMA". THE SPECTRAL WOLVES FROM CHAPTER 1 WERE CREATURES FROM WORLD OF WARCRAFT. IT WASN'T MINE. I'M GONNA BORROW THE NAMES OF PLACES, AND MONSTERS/CREATURES, BECAUSE IT'S HARD MAKING UP NEW NAMES FOR PLACES, AND IT'S EVEN HARDER TO MAKE UP A NEW MONSTER/CREATURE THAT HASN'T BEEN THOUGHT UP OR USED YET.**

**CLAIMER: However, The Spirit Sages Are My Original Characters. I Also Made Up The Special Topaz Key Of The Spirit Sages, And The Spell I Made Up. I'll Have More Original Characters Added, And Monsters That May Seem Odd, And I'll Add More Interesting Places Like The Court Of The Spirit Sages, As Well As Other Interesting Groups, And Ideas.**

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**Chapter Three: The Blessing Of The Stars**

**_~ Begins In The Court Of The __Spirit Sages ~_**

* * *

~ Lucy's POV ~

Lucy walked with Lia towards a circular table made of geode with a total of 14 chairs made of amethyst all around it. She wondered how she missed that, but before she voiced that question out Lia stopped in her tracks with a look of wonder on her face. They were at least 5 feet from the table, but Lia was looking at something else that caught her eye. She wondered what stopped Lia, and when she turned in the direction to where Lia was looking, what she saw explained it all. Oni, and the rest of the Sages were gathered around a quiet bonfire to the left of the table. The bonfire was burning, but it wasn't fire that burned within it's hearth. They were miniature stars. The Sages were gathered around it, sitting down, with no weapons in hand and no glowing eyes under their hooded robes. The wonder and mysticism of it all put an amazed look on Lucy's face.

"They're connecting with the 88 Constellations. They're watching the world at work. It's not a type of meditation per say. They simply leave their physical bodies behind while their astral spirits soar through the stars, gathering information, power, wisdom, and understanding.", Lia explained to Lucy. "Let's leave them be for now. Let's go over there to help Duet set the food.", Lia pointed to Duet across the table.

Duet looked like she was having trouble levitating all those platters of food along with the plates, goblets, pitchers of different drinks, and different utensils onto the table. Both Lia and Lucy quickly helped Duet to set the table. Duet sat down on one of the chairs looking drained. "Thanks you two. I usually have Cross helping me out, but she's a little busy at the moment."

They all look back to Cross who was still meditating on the field. They turn back to look at each other and Lucy looked surprised to find that Duet took her hood down when Lucy's attention was focussed on Cross. Duet had bright azure eyes, shoulder-length hair whose crimson color reminded Lucy of Erza, a tanned complexion, and a bright grin on her face. She looked to be about in her late 30's, but she didn't want to ask.

"Wow, you look amazing.", said Lucy.

"Why thank you for that complement, and don't be afraid to sit down.", Duet said to her with a smile while motioning for her to sit. Her voice changed as well to a lighter tone that reminded her of rustling leaves being blown through the trees in the fall. Lucy suspected that without their hoods, the Sages' voices revert back to their normal tone.

'They must really like their privacy.', Lucy thought to herself.

After that comment from Duet, both Lucy and Lia took a seat next to each other.

"And while we're waiting around, let me just say that I was impressed to how quickly you reacted Lia. I'm glad that you did what you did. Cross would've went ballistic if you didn't cover this girl's mouth.", Duet chimed in with an amused look on her face. "And don't look so distraught Lucy, you didn't know about Cross. It's alright." Duet's smile turned into a warm one.

"I just didn't want our new apprentice over here to die on her first day.", said Lia as she was crossing her arms while turning her head to hide the tinge of crimson growing in her cheeks. "I don't need your praise.", said Lia feigning annoyance, but she was happy that Duet acknowledged her.

Lucy looked curious and worried, but then she asked, "I know I'm going to regret this, but why is that word taboo when describing Cross?"

Lia turned around to meet Duet's gaze. Duet looked back at Lia and nodded, letting her know that she can tell Lucy the story.

"Okay, listen up and make sure you don't interrupt me.", Lia demanded of Lucy.

Lucy nodded her head and waited for Lia to start spilling the beans. Lia's expression turned serious as she looked at Lucy.

"When Cross was a young girl at the fragile and young age of 7, her village was attacked. The village's name was Roethen and it resided in the southeast of the Kingdom of Fiore. Her village was attacked by Demons. These Demons weren't from the books of Zeref, but they had the same level of strength and power as one of them. They seemed to be looking for something in that very village. Cross's family and her entire village were slaughtered right in front of her very eyes. Cross was the only survivor of Roethen. When the Demons were about to pounce on her, Cross absorbed all of them. She didn't know how she did it, but it happened. She was all alone until dawn came and a battalion of Fiore's Rune Knights found her asleep with tears running down her cheeks and on her red-puffed up eyes. She had blood stains and ashes on her, and her dress was singed in different places. They thought of bringing her back to the capital with them, so that they could debrief her and question her, but the Rune Knights who escorted her never made it back, except for one man. This man was badly bruised and cut up while he limped back to Crocus. What happened was that Cross awoke from a nightmare and she transformed into one of the Demons that she absorbed and slaughtered the entire battalion mercilessly, except for one survivor. She didn't mean to do it, but she couldn't control her powers at the time. It wasn't her fault, but luck and fate was against her. That one survivor recounted his tale of horror to his superiors and the Kingdom of Fiore labeled Cross as the most dangerous Demon in all the continent. They knew what she looked like, and they put a bounty on her head. A bounty of 50 million jewels, a record-breaking sum which led to a nationwide man...I mean girlhunt for Cross. She grew up running away, but whenever she did find a home, she was quickly found out and forced to run again. The echoes of many voices that call her a Demon still linger in her thoughts. She's been running away for more than 10 years until we found her. We took her in and found her a home here with us. We helped fake her death to convince the Kingdom of Fiore that she'll no longer be a threat to their safety. We brought her here with us, and we taught her everything that she knows. Proper control, about her powers, and everything else. That brings us back to the present. Don't ever...and I mean ever call her a demon, don't even say that word, because if you do, then she'll break down and lose control of herself. The last time someone did that was...well let's just say that we had to move to another Court because there was no trace left of the last one."

After Lia finished, Lucy was awestruck at the story that she had just heard as tears ran down her eyes. She felt sadness, fear, and all sorts of conflicting emotions. Lia and Duet went to Lucy's side to calm her down. Lia hugged her and told her, "Shhhhh...calm down, it'll be alright. We know that it's a saddening story, but all that matters is that Cross is with us.", Lia added while wiping a tear from her eye as she broke away from the hug to look at Lucy with a pleasant smile on her face.

"She grew up and became the very capable woman that we know her to be.", Duet chimed in. "Now you should wipe those tears away because everyone is on their way here to join us for the feast."

As Lucy looked around through her tears, she saw the Sages standing up and moving towards the table, and Cross walking towards them. She quickly wiped the tears with a napkin from the table and tucked it away in her pocket. Lia sat on the chair to her left while Duet sat on the chair to her right. Cross sat across from Lucy, and the rest of the Sages took their seats as well. Lucy was waiting for them to take their hoods down, but they didn't. She kind of expected that. Cross did tell her that they'll take their hoods down when they're ready and interested in teaching her their specialty. 'Hmmmm...I guess there's a lot about Celestial Magic that I didn't know about.', Lucy thought to herself with a dazed look. 'Oh, I can't wait to learn.' As soon as she shook the daze from her thoughts she noticed that all the Sages were raising their goblets. She did the same.

"Okay everyone, let us welcome Lucy with open arms and a great feast to end her first short day of training!", Cross shouted.

There were shouts of, "Here, here!", "Aye!", "Yeah!", and all sorts of gleeful and boisterous comments.

"Let us drink this first cup with her with gusto and revelry and many more hopeful days of training to come.", Duet chimed in.

They all drank from the goblets at the same time, and Lucy tasted a sweet and sparkling sensation wash over her tongue and go down her throat. 'Wow, Sparkling Apple Cider. This is amazing!', Lucy exclaimed to herself.

"Now, let's eat!", shouted Lia and surprising Lucy.

All the other Sages laughed or shouted in agreement with Lia's outburst making Lucy feel happy, nostalgic, and missing Fairy Tail. They then begun to dig into their food with amazing gusto. In 15 minutes, Lucy finished eating her orange chicken with white rice, mashed potatoes, cheesecake, and brownies. She slumped down on her chair feeling the back of it support her and she put a hand to her stomach, 'Man, I sure ate a lot. That was so delicious.'

"Thanks for the food. It was very delicious.", Lucy said to Duet.

"You're very welcome.", Duet replied with a chicken on her fork paused before it entered her mouth. "You can eat more if you want."

"I'm good for now. I couldn't eat another bite.", Lucy added.

"That's alright. You'll find out soon enough why we Sages eat a lot.", Lia said with a mouth full of food.

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~ Lucy's POV ~

(30 Minutes Later)

Lucy waited for 30 minutes until all the Sages were done eating. She was amazed at how they finished all of that food in 45 minutes. 'Dang, they might have a bigger appetite than my entire Guild combined.', Lucy thought to herself. She then saw Oni lifting his right hand and making a sweeping motion towards the plates, goblets, and anything else that was on the table. All the plates, utensils, goblets, and all the mess disappeared leaving a very clean table.

"Now Lucy, before we call it a night, we'd like...to answer any questions that you might have for us.", Oni said looking at Lucy.

Lucy then thought to herself and voiced out the 1st question that was on her mind, "How come I can't sense any magic power from any of you?" She wanted to ask that question when she noticed after eating her dinner that the Sages didn't emit any sort of magical power. She was too surprised during their introduction and the training that she endured with Cross was too challenging, so she didn't really focus enough to sense or try sensing the Sages' magical powers. The thought of sensing their powers never crossed her mind until she finished eating.

"Well that's a very good question, and we have a...very good answer for that. We Sages were gifted with...the Blessings Of The Stars. The very stars themselves lend...us their power, so we don't really need to use...our own. We conceal our magical powers because it helps...us when we meditate and use the gifts we were...given. We only stop concealing our powers when we're in...dire need to, when we're trying to combine our gifts...and powers, and when we're fighting at our full strength."

Lucy gulped and a bead of sweat dropped from the back of her head. She then thought to herself, 'Wow...so Cross wasn't at her full strength when she was fighting me...', with a look of panic that she quickly hid behind a neutral expression. All the Sages saw it though, and most of them were hiding smirks because they knew what she was thinking. "Okay, and what kinds of specialties are there?, and do these ultimately relate to Celestial Spirit Magic?", she asked with a curious tone in her voice and a questioning finger on her cheek while tilting her head by a fraction. The latter question was because she just wanted to make sure.

"As you know from what Cross told you that her specialties are Celestial Supportive Magic, Star-Whip Conjuration, and Strike Summons. Star-Whip Conjuration is one of the many different types of Star-Weapons that one can conjure and each of us here is specialized in at least one weapon and at most 5 weapons. There's also Star-Armor Conjuration which is important because it can give incredibly strong defense to the caster. There are also Light Manipulation, Star-Magic which branches out and is named after all the different types of stars in the sky, Constellation-Magic which also branches out to the many different types of constellations in the sky, Space Phenomenon Summoning Magic, and lastly Celestial Spirit Connection Magic. They all ultimately come back to Celestial Spirit Magic. They're all related to one another. Many of the different magics that I've named for you are all Lost Magic. That's why they rarely show up in any books. You'll be familiar with them in time. They all branch out and they each have their own respective special techniques, but we'll lecture you about that another time.", Duet answered to Lucy with a teacher-like tone and a wagging finger.

Lucy nodded with an amazed look in her eyes and an infectious warm smile on her face. "That's amazing. I never would've thought that all those types of magics come back to and relate to Celestial Spirit Magic. Though they all make sense, when I think about it. I'm guessing that these magics are too powerful to be taught to anyone?"

"Yes, you are right. They are too powerful to be...taught to anyone who hasn't been selected by the stars. You, Lucy Heartfilia, have been deemed worthy and we will...train you until you are ready. We'll teach you as...much as we can. You will ultimately learn all of...them, but you'll want to specialize in a certain few. Mastering...them all will take years or centuries even, but you'll...specialize in a certain few based on your favorite types...of magics.", said Oni.

"Ahhhh...I see. My guess was sort of spot on. Okay, here's the next thing that I want to ask. Why are you residing in the Celestial Spirit World?"

"The answer to that is a bit complicated.", said a Sage with glowing orange eyes. "We had physical bodies before, but when we died we ended up here. Like you, we were once Celestial Spirit Wizards ourselves who were taught by the Court of Spirit Sages. Not many know of this in Earthland, but when a Wizard or non-Wizard dies, then their soul and essence either completely go to the Celestial Spirit World, or their soul and essence are split between Earthland and the Celestial Spirit World. Don't go preaching and telling anyone about that information, because it's a secret. The only ones who know about it are the ones who are already here residing in the Celestial Spirit World or the ones whose other-half is here. The Spirits that the Celestial Spirit Wizards can contract with know of this as well and they're forbidden to tell Earthlanders about it. We can't go back to Earthland because we have long since past from the physical world. The only exception is Cross over there."

Lucy nodded with understanding, and warmth in her eyes. "Don't worry I won't tell anyone. And I have two more questions, what's with the topaz key? and why me?", she asked with a serious expression on her face.

"The key's proper name is, "The Special Topaz Key of the Sages", it's a key connecting this court to Earthland. There's only one in existence and you're the lucky Celestial Wizard who it chose. Its made of a special stone from the stars above and it's been imbued by Celestial Magic. Once every decade or so in Earthland years, the key finds a worthy Celestial Spirit Wizard for we Sages to teach. The key chooses not by magic power, and not by the number of heroic feats, and/or accomplishments that the Wizard has achieved or is trying to achieve. It picks those who have true strength within them, those who have potential, those with faith in their own abilities, and those who have the indomitable will to never give up when all odds are against them. Even though you don't know it yet, but you Lucy Heartfilia, have these traits. I hope that answers your questions for you.", answered Lia.

Her cheeks were tinged red at the compliment. Lucy was left speechless at Lia's answer to her last question. 'Did I really have those traits? I am so honored. Wow.', she thought to herself with a big smile on her face and her hands covering the red in her cheeks. As this was happening, Lia and Duet went to her side to try and calm her down.

"Lucy get ahold of yourself, if you turn even more red, then you'll be a blond-haired tomato.", said Lia.

"She's right, the other Sages are getting up to teleport to their individual Courts to rest. You should rest too, after all, you have a long day ahead of you tomorrow.", said Duet while yawning.

Lucy calmed down and the red tinge on her cheeks went away. As she looked around, the other Sages are nowhere to be found. The only ones around her are Cross, Lia, and Duet. The 1st 3 to reveal their faces to her.

Lia yawned and then said, "We'll show you where to sleep. We'll be resting with you because we're the 1st ones who revealed who we are to you, and we're women. There are other women, but they haven't revealed themselves yet, so they get to miss out on the sleepover. Hehehe."

They walked Lucy over to what looked like a group of comfortable beds that she swore wasn't there before. They were just lying on the starry grass fields near the Court of the Spirit Sages. Each of them went to a different bed, and Lucy picked out a bed with blue sheets and a red wool blanket. Duet laid herself down on a bed with green sheets and a yellow wool blanket, Lia hopped onto a bed with red sheets and a pink wool blanket, while Cross went under the covers of a bed with white sheets and a white wool blanket. Lucy looked up into the stars and saw what looked like small little islands all over the sky, but thought nothing of it since she was so tired. The exhausting 1st day already taking its toll. She didn't know that she was so tired. She'll just have to ask how come these furnitures appear out of nowhere, and what's up with those islands later in the morning.

Lucy yawns then tells everyone, "Goodnight."

Duet, Lia, and Cross reply in unison, "Goodnight Lucy." And they each say their goodnights to each other. They then drift of to sleep.

Lucy recounts the events that led to this, and smiles, before letting her tiredness catch up to her. She then drifts off to sleep.

* * *

~ Lucy's POV ~

(In The Morning, Her 2nd Day Of Training. A Few Minutes After She And The 3 Other Women Got Dressed Into Different Clothing That Appeared At The Foot Of Their Newly-made Beds)

As they were heading onto the table where Duet quickly set up for their breakfast, Lucy asked hoping to get a clear answer. "So what's with the sudden appearance of furniture made of of minerals and rocks?, and the clothes that look like their from my closet?, and also what's with those floating islands above us?"

"Well, when we Sages think of something we need in this Court, it becomes reality. It's that simple.", Cross answered her 1st question while still wiping away the sleep from her eyes and stifling a yawn.

"The clothes are from your closet. One of your Celestial Spirits, I'm thinking Virgo visited and dropped them off.", said Lia while yawning.

They sat down on the table, joining Duet. "That explains a lot and yeah, that sounds like Virgo all right. I'll have to thank her later. I guess since you all live in the Celestial Spirit World, that you are familiar with all the Spirits here.", said Lucy smiling at the other women while stifling a yawn and stretching her arms.

"That's correct. And to answer your last question. The floating islands are each individual courts owned by 1 Spirit Sage. That's where we usually live, train and meditate in solitude, and other normal things that we do. This court that you're standing on is the gathering court of all the Spirit Sages. Otherwise known as, "The Gathering Court Of The Spirit Sages." We call it by other names, but that one sounds more appealing and dramatic.", said Duet with a warm smile. "Now everyone dig in and enjoy your breakfast."

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~ Lucy's POV ~

(In The Morning, Her 2nd Day Of Training, An Hour After She Ate Her Breakfast With Duet, Lia, and Cross.)

"Come on, Focus Lucy!", shouted Cross. "We taught you the basics, so now all you need to do is concentrate and do what we told you to do."

'Easy for you to say.', thought Lucy. 'This is my 19th try in 30 minutes. My magic energy is running low too.' It took Cross 30 minutes to explain and demonstrate the basics of Star-Weapon Conjuration to her. She tries once again because she wasn't going to just give up. The only way for to her to stop was if she accomplished this, or if she passed out due to exhaustion, or finally if she ran out of magic energy. She closed her eyes and envisioned the weapon that she wanted in her mind. She imagined it being in her right hand. The thought of feeling it in her grip and imagining it as if it was an extension of her limb. She then opened her eyes and chanted the words,

**"The Weapon Of The Stars And The Planets, **

**Heed My Call, **

**Bless Me With A Weapon That's Worthy Of Thy Endless Power And Reach: **

**Star-Whip!", **

she shouted the last part of the incantation with overwhelming confidence. A bright orange magic circle appeared on her right hand and after a few seconds a whip made out of stars and glowed a faint orange aura appeared in her hand. Lucy smiled and looked at the weapon on her hand while wiping of an excess amount of sweat from her forehead with her left.

"That's amazing Lucy, congratulations. You finally summoned a Star-Whip and it's orange too, amazing.", Lia told Lucy with a great smile on her face and a twinkle of amazement in her eyes.

"Thanks.", said Lucy as she turned to look at Lia's face and smiled since she was praised for accomplishing a more difficult task than she thought at first. The other 19 times ended up with a magic explosion erupting in her right hand. It didn't hurt her, but it chipped away at her confidence.

"I agree. It's very rare for anyone to have a Star-Weapon with that color. We haven't told you this yet, because we didn't think you'd be able to conjure up a weapon on your 2nd day with us. We left out some vital information that we're now willing to share thanks to your accomplishment.", said Cross with a neutral tone of voice.

A bead of sweat ran down the back of her head and Lucy's smile faltered for a brief second. She stopped looking at Lia and turned to look at Cross. "So, what didn't you tell me?", Lucy asked with a curious tone.

"All magic takes a different form. It all depends on the caster's magic, as well as their powerful emotions. The color of one's magic however is a concept not easily grasped and it's difficult to explain as well as fathom. When conjuring a Star-Weapon, the caster's imagination is tested like we told you earlier before you started, but another factor is also the color of your magic. Orange is a rare color of magic. It shows that your magic is as flexible as the wind, as strong as your will, and is as immovable as a mountain. A wizard's magic reflects the wizard, and it looks like we know more about you now than before. It's better that you found out this early on how impressive your magic is because it's not just something that you're born with. It's something that you've attained. Your experiences helped shape who you are and what your magic is. You are your magic, and by the looks of it, you're a very impressive Wizard indeed. You've exceeded my expectations.", said Cross with a proud smile and a praiseful tone in her voice.

"That's incredible. I had no idea.", said Lucy shifting her amazed and starry eyes between Cross and her new weapon. Lucy thought to herself, 'This Cross is very hard to read, but hearing her say those words with praise makes me happy. I'm glad I did something right.'

"Congrats as well Lucy, and if you're ready to train some more, then just tell us. There will only be the 4 of us here since the others are occupied. They're watching your progress while taking care of other matters.", said Duet with a singsong voice.

"Training with your new weapon in hand is very important. You'll learn quickly while we spar that your new weapon will be a thousand times more different than your original weapon. Even though, both are whips, they are both very different in terms of...well you'll find out for yourself. The only thing we'll be giving you is advice, criticism, and harsh lectures while this sparring match begins. I'll be your 1st opponent.", said Cross. She quickly walks over to the grassy field they were in yesterday, and quickly takes of her robes. Her beige top was replaced with a similar looking top, but with a crimson hue and her black miniskirt was replaced with jean shorts that reached just above her knees. She conjures up her whips and waits for Lucy.

Lucy walks over and takes her position a few feet in front of Cross. She's wearing a white shirt with a red fairy tail symbol on the back and the front and a blue and red plaid miniskirt. She looked at Cross and thought to herself, 'It's gonna take me a long time until I can conjure up anything without saying a single word. It's gonna take me an even longer time to evenly match Cross in combat.' She quickly pushed that thought aside and got ready in a fighting stance. "Let's do this."

The two other girls are sitting down on a giant boulder made out of obsidian and watches the sparring match before it begins. They could feel the tension in the air as Cross and Lucy just stand there, studying each other in their fighting stances, waiting for the opponent in front of them to make the 1st move. Lia whispers to Duet before the sparring match begins, "Hey, Duet, do you think Lucy will be able to learn Multi-Weapon Conjuration and the No-Word Weapon-Conjuration soon?"

"I don't know when, but she'll be ready for it in no time. Now let's just sit and watch the sparring match. I feel like this is gonna be intense.", chimed in Duet with a pleasant smile.

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**So Was This Chapter Informative. I Know I Put A Lot Of Details, But I Felt That It Was Necessary. Reviews, Comments, PMs Are Appreciated. Thank You For Reading. I'll Put In More Action In The Next Chapter.**

****\- KnightWriterRLK Signing Off For Now****


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note:**

**\- This Is A Special Shoutout To My 1st Follower, manic kitty. Thank you for reading and following my story. **

**\- This Is A Special Shoutout To My 1st Reviewer, 1st Favoriter (A Person Who Added My Story As One Of Their Favorites), And 2nd Follower, AnimeLuver778. Thank you for reading my story, for adding it as one of your favorites, and thank you for your enthusiastic comment reviews. **

**\- This Is Another Special Shoutout To My 2nd Favoriter, And My 1st - 3rd (You're The 1st Person Out Of 2 Who Followed My Story On The 6th Of October, 2014.) Follower, Kimmy Rose. Thank you so much for reading my story, for following it and adding it as one of your favorites.**

**\- This Is A Special Shoutout To My 2nd - 3rd (You're The 2nd Person Out Of 2 Who Followed My Story On The 6th Of October, 2014.), Follower, Guardian of Heaven. Thank you so much for reading and following my story.**

**\- This Is My 5th Shoutout To None Other Than My 4th Follower, Nozomi69. Thank you so much for reading my story and for following it.**

**I thank you all so much. This is inspiring me to write more and I plan to add 1 chapter every Wednesday, and 1 every Saturday, or as often as I can for you all. Thank you as well to any and all my silent readers. Now onto the story.**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN FAIRY TAIL AND ANY OF THE CHARACTERS, IDEAS, ETC. THE RIGHTS GO TO THE BRILLIANT "HIRO MASHIMA". THE SPECTRAL WOLVES FROM CHAPTER 1 WERE CREATURES FROM WORLD OF WARCRAFT. IT WASN'T MINE. I'M GONNA BORROW THE NAMES OF PLACES, AND MONSTERS/CREATURES, BECAUSE IT'S HARD MAKING UP NEW NAMES FOR PLACES, AND IT'S EVEN HARDER TO MAKE UP A NEW MONSTER/CREATURE THAT HASN'T BEEN THOUGHT UP OR USED YET.**

**CLAIMER: However, The Spirit Sages Are My Original Characters. The Special Topaz Key Of The Spirit Sages, The Different Types Of Celestial Magics, And The Spells I Made Up. I'll Have More Original Characters Added, And Monsters That May Seem Odd, And I'll Add More Interesting Places Like The Court Of The Spirit Sages, As Well As Other Interesting Groups, And Ideas.**

* * *

******Chapter Four: Lucy Vs. Cross, And The 1st Month Of Training******

******_~ Begins In The Fields Near The Court Of The Spirit Sages ~_  
******

* * *

~ Lucy's POV ~

Lucy and Cross were looking at each other so intently that both Lia and Duet were getting goosebumps. They were studying each other as they stood there. They were only a few feet away from each other.

Cross was waiting for Lucy to attack because she wanted to see what she'd do with her new weapon. She wanted to see what she's capable of. She loved the heat of battle and the adrenaline that pumps through her veins before, during, and after a battle. She wanted to go all-out like she almost did the last time they sparred, but thought better of it, since Lucy was still a rookie. 'I guess I'll make the 1st move then.', Cross thought to herself as a grin crossed her neutral looking smile. She lashed out with both her whips at Lucy. She attacked with her right whip 1st and waited for a half a second delay before she attacked with her left whip.

Lucy saw that all too familiar grin crossing the neutral smile of Cross and knew that she was going to attack first. She was right, since she saw Cross lashing out both her whips at her in a duo vertical attack. She raised her Star-Whip on her right hand and tried to catch both of the whips coming towards her with her own by lashing out in a horizontal pattern coming from the right. Her horizontal lash only blocked the whip that was coming towards her left and totally missed the one coming towards her right, but before Cross's whip hit her, she dodged it by performing a backflip a mere second before it hit her. She landed 4 more feet away, which makes the distance between them 9 feet at most.

'So she delayed one of her attacks to try and catch me off-guard. I should be more careful. My Star-Whip seems to only be at least 8 feet long and I can only assume the same for her whips. It weighs the same as my original whip; Fleuve d'étoiles, so I don't need to worry about that hindering my attacks and movements. I need to get in closer to land a hit. I should...', before Lucy could finish her thoughts she was almost hit by Cross's whips. Lucy performed another backflip in order to dodge this horizontal and vertical lash pattern attack from Cross. When she landed, she noticed that the purple glowing aura from Cross's whips brightened up a bit before she retracted them. 'Was it my imagination, or did her whips extend?...how else would her attacks reach me?...does this mean that she'll be able to attack me from any distance?...I should try to do the same, but I don't know how. I don't know the extent of my Star-Whip's powers yet. I need to get in closer for all of my regular attacks to work.' After that last thought she started sprinting towards Cross.

'It looks like she figured it out, but will she be able to do anything about it?', Cross asked herself as a more obvious smile crossed her face. She still stood there at the spot in the field where she and Lucy began their sparring match. 'Let's see if she can move me from this spot.' Cross lashed out her whips at Lucy in a duo horizontal pattern coming from both the left and the right.

Lucy ran forward and jumped into the air dodging the attack and lashed out her own whip at her opponent knowing that it would hit her indefinitely since Cross used both her whips to attack and it'll take a few seconds before she can retract them to her side and defend against it. Lucy thought that she was in the clear, but she felt something latch onto her waist. It was one of Cross's whips...'but how?', Lucy asked herself and looked over at Cross sporting a smug look on her face. Lucy was dumbstruck.

Cross had caught Lucy's whip before it hit her with the whip on her right hand, while the whip on her left held onto Lucy's waist. "You have to do better than that.", said Cross as she slammed Lucy onto the ground and retracted both her whips to her side.

"H...how did you do that?", Lucy let out with a grunt as she clenched her jaw and had her left hand hold onto her right rib cage because of the damage it caused her from the force of the impact while her right gripped her Star-Whip with much more force. She then noticed that she was standing at the same spot; which was 9 feet away from Cross, right before she started sprinting towards her for an attack.

"That's for me to know and for you to experience through this match of ours.", replied Cross with the same devious grin from last time.

Lucy composed herself and stopped herself from holding her ribcage. She stood her full height and decided to keep on attacking Cross, but before that, she looked at her weapon. She then thought to herself, 'So, if this Star-Whip is supposed to be an extension of my limb, then I wonder if it can?...' Her Star-Whip's orange aura brightened up a bit and grew longer. A smile crossed her face as she thought to herself, 'Ahhh..., so that's how it works. I can extend it with my will. And then I need to attack her while extending my whip and keeping my guard up. Easier said than done.' She started sprinting again towards Cross.

'This is excellent. She's learning faster than I thought possible. By the looks of her Star-Whip's aura she found out how to extend its reach using Will-Extension. That's great Lucy. Now hit me with all you've got.' Cross lashed out her whips at Lucy in a duo diagonal x attack pattern coming from both sides and from the top going down.

Lucy sprinted towards Cross and lashed out her whip while extending it with her own will to try and block her attacks. Her whip collided with both of Cross's whips at the same time and she then retracted her whip and lashed out at Cross in a vertical attack while extending her whip a 2nd time. Before it could hit Cross, she performed the same backflip while retracting both her whips to her sides.

Cross landed perfectly and her whips started moving as if they were tentacles. Her mid-back long blond hair whipped outwards just like her whips while she radiated a white aura of magical power. She didn't even lash out or move her hands. Her hands were holding her whips by her sides and her whips looked as if they were moving of their own accord. "I see that you've finally moved me from my position. Let us now see if you can stop me from moving towards you." Cross then started walking towards Lucy.

Lucy saw Cross with a neutral smile on her face that freaked her out. Her creepiness was enhanced by her whips' aura and their constant random lashing out as if they were alive. Her blond hair that suddenly kept lashing out just like her whips and her powerful white aura that outlined her body made her look like a goddess. Her whips kept on getting brighter and brighter as they kept on lashing out at all directions. 'I have to hit her at least once. It's already been more than 8 minutes or so and she's hit me once. I have to at least hit her once as well.' Lucy looked at Cross's glowing white eyes that were flickering with power. They were glowing more than usual. 'I'm not gonna let her intimidate me.' Lucy sprinted towards her and lashed out her whip in a horizontal attack pattern while extending her whip using her will.

One of Cross's whips caught Lucy's attack before it could do any harm while the other stopped Lucy in her tracks by wrapping itself tightly around Lucy's body, her arms included. She was lifted 5 feet into the air. Lucy dropped her whip because the whip that wrapped itself around her was getting tighter and tighter as if it was trying to squeeze the life out of her. Lucy's Star-Whip disappeared into floating orange orbs and the last thing that she saw was the bright stars in the sky as she passed out, the darkness claiming her eyesight. The last thing she heard was screams that sounded like they came from both Duet and Lia...

* * *

~ Lia's POV ~

Both Lia and Duet ran towards Cross and Lucy when they saw that Lucy was wrapped up in Cross's Star-Whip. They kept on screaming for Cross to let go of Lucy, but she didn't hear them. She only heard them when they were 3 feet away. The glowing and flickering white eyes that belonged to Cross dissipated and her irises reverted back to their normal color. Her irises turned back to their normal white hue with speckles of brown and black within her pupils. Her glowing aura faded from her and her hair fell back into place. Cross noticed what she was doing and willed her whips to disappear. They disappeared into thin air and Lucy was quickly dropped into the ground, but before the sudden impact from the fall, both Duet and Lia caught her. They then gently laid her unconscious body down onto the ground.

"Gosh Cross, what the hell is wrong with you?", shouted Lia with venom in her voice while looking down at Lucy's unconscious body.

She along with Cross and Duet were kneeling and looking down at Lucy. Cross and Duet were at the right of Lucy while Lia was across from them.

"I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me. I'm really sorry.", answered Cross with a soft and cracked voice.

Duet and Lia noticed from the sound of her voice that Cross was about to cry.

"It's alright. We know how easily you lose control when you're in a heated battle. It's not your fault.", Duet chimed in with a gentle voice while having her left arm patting circles around Cross's back trying to calm her down.

Cross had her left hand clenched in a fist and supporting her weight while her right went to stroke Lucy's right cheek. Her tears were falling on Lucy's right cheek and she was trying to wipe those tears away, only to be replaced by more of her falling tears.

"Calm down Cross, Lucy looks like she's fine. She's just unconscious. Her vital signs are fine, and her breathing rate is normal, and the only thing that we have to worry about is her right ribcage, but it looks like an easy wound to recover from. She'll only get a slight bruise. She just needs to recuperate.", said Lia with a softer and gentler tone. "Let's carry her onto her bed. Your sparring match with her took a lot out of her. Remember, this place cuts her magical power, abilities, and rate of recovery in half. It'll be awhile until she wakes up again. Let's just stay by her side until she wakes up."

All three of the girls stood up and used their magic to safely carry Lucy onto her bed. It took a few minutes but it was easy with all of them working together. They then put a blanket over her, and just sat on the bed closest to Lucy's and just sat there quietly, waiting for her to wake up. Cross's sobs were subsiding, but her tears were still falling. Duet gave her a handkerchief to wipe away her tears.

"Hey, Cross. I'm sorry about yelling at you earlier. I know that you can't control yourself completely. I was just angry. I don't want us to lose another apprentice, another friend. Especially Layla and Jude's one and only daughter.", said Lia with a crestfallen voice.

"Cross was teaching her just fine. Lucy learned Star-Whip Conjuration with our instructions and then she learned to use Will-Extension by herself during a sparring match. She's definitely a Heartfilia.", beamed Duet.

Cross was wiping away her tears while trying to stop her sobs. "Th...thanks you two."

"Don't mention it. Now shush. Let's let Lucy rest.", Duet chimed in while going back to patting Cross's back.

* * *

~ Lucy's POV ~

(4 Hours Later)

When Lucy opened her eyes, she saw the bright stars in the sky, but instead of feeling the grassy field on her back because she knew that she passed out during her sparring match with Cross, she found herself wrapped up in a red wool blanket and the comfort of a bed supporting her body. 'Huh, this is my bed.' She turned her head to see Cross sitting on the bed next to her, staring down at her with puffy red eyes and tear-stained cheeks, but before she could say a word, Cross leaped up from where she was and hugged her in a close embrace.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so glad that you're awake Lucy. I'm so sorry. I didn't know that I lost control of myself. I'm so sorry.", Cross said to Lucy while still embracing her in a warm and overwhelming hug and a soft and cracked tone in her voice.

'She's been crying.', Lucy thought to herself. She then spoke up in a calm and normal voice while hugging Cross back in a weak embrace because her arms were tired, "It's alright Cross. You don't need to apologize. We were sparring after all. I wouldn't forgive you if you went easy on me just because I'm new to these types of Celestial Magics."

Cross sat back up after hearing what Lucy said and looked at Lucy's genuine smile and hugged her right back.

'It's hard to believe that this is the Cross that I sparred against twice. I guess she's a more gentler person than she wants me to see her as. What's odd is that when she looked at me just now, her eyes were very different. Instead of them being completely white and pupil-less orbs like before, now she's got irises. Her irises are white with speckles of brown and black within her pupils. I may have only caught a glimpse of her eyes, but I can't forget them. They're absolutely gorgeous and I've never seen eyes like hers before.' Lucy gave her hug back and patted her on the back while saying, "It's alright Cross. I'm fine. It was really fun sparring with you. I hope that we can do it again. And don't worry about holding back, because I don't want you to. We're more than sparring partners. This may be the 2nd day of us knowing each other, but I consider you as a friend already."

"Thanks Lucy. Thank you. I was really worried because you were unconscious for 4 hours now. We didn't want to wake you because we know that you needed the rest. I'm just so so happy that you're alright. And I'm glad to have you back Lucy. I'm glad to have you as a friend."

'Wow, 4 hours huh? That's fine. I can't really blame Cross. And besides I meant what I said. It was a fun sparring match, and things happen during a battle beyond anyone's control. I'm not upset or bothered with the outcome. Cross is my new friend. What's bothering me a little is this sudden change in her. I just find it really odd how she gained a whole new other personality like this. It's as if she's a completely different person, but who am I to think that. I've only known her for a day and a half. As her new friend I'll help her however much I can and try to get to know her better.', Lucy thought to herself as she kept on hugging while patting Cross's back while making sure not to entangle her hands in her long blond hair.

"Cross my dear, will you please not squeeze the life out of this young lady?", said an unknown voice that Lucy had never heard before. Lucy recognized that it came from a woman because it was a gentle yet commanding tone, but there was something in this woman's voice that she couldn't recognize. A hint of an unknown accent that she's never heard of.

Cross and Lucy stopped their hugging and looked towards the direction of where the voice came from. To their left across from the bed that Cross leaped up from stood a gorgeous woman that looked like she was in her late 20's. She wore the same looking robes that the Sages wore, but her hood was down showing off her shoulder-length brown hair which framed her tanned face perfectly. Her glowing yellow eyes flickered with power. She was holding onto a fan made out of stars which glowed a bright yellow aura.

"Hey, Isabella. How are you?", Cross asked her fellow Sage.

"I am well, perfectly so. And how are you and Lucy faring?"

"We're faring just fine, thanks for asking.", answered Lucy with a smile.

"That is excellent, very much so. I am ecstatic to hear that you're fine. I was watching your sparring match with Cross and I was pulled from Heaven to Earthland at the show of passion, creativity, and poetry that your battle beheld. That's why I'm here to grace you both with my presence. I wanted to let you know that I'll also be helping to train you Lucy.", said Isabella with a smile and a curtsied bow. "Both Duet and Lia know of this as well. I'm excited, oh so much so."

"That's great. It's nice to meet you Isabella.", replied Lucy with a warm smile. "I can't wait to work with you."

Cross only smiled at Isabella and stood up from the bed. She then turned to Lucy and said, "Thanks Lucy. I'm gonna help the others make Lunch and Dinner. I'll let you get more acquainted with Isabella here." Cross then went over to Isabella and gave her a hug and walked towards where Duet and Lia were standing 25 or so feet away from the Court of the Spirit Sages, and surrounded by what looks like a kitchen without a roof.

Isabella then sat at the foot of the bed and looked towards Cross as she was walking away. "Ah, the poor girl. She's like the two sides of the same coin. When one side is too much, the other side shows up. She'll be just fine though, because she's with us now, her family.", as Isabella said this the corners of her eyes flickered with power and a smile crossed her face. Lucy heard and saw the emotions that Isabella conveyed towards Cross, one of care and worry towards her well-being. As if Isabella was Cross's mother. She then turned towards Lucy with a warm smile on her face. "She didn't mean what she did. Thank you for consoling her. She's a very powerful young woman. Her power is just sometimes too much for her, and it's sometimes too much for us too. I'm glad that she has a new friend like you. Do take care of her." Isabella then got up and started walking towards the roofless kitchen in the middle of the star-lit grassy fields, but before she could take another step, she said, "You should rest up for a bit. Your training for today is still not over and we already thought up of a schedule for this month." Isabella then continued walking towards the other women.

'She was nice, like super nice. And very gentle as well. She reminds me of Mirajane.', Lucy thought to herself while smiling. She did as Isabella suggested and went back down to lay her head on her pillow to rest.

* * *

~ Lucy's POV ~

(One Hour After Eating Lunch With The Four Sages)

Lia, Duet, and Isabella sat down with their legs crossed over the other on the same obsidian rock that overlooked the battlefield where Lia and Duet sat earlier to witness the sparring match between Cross and Lucy. They were watching over Lucy and Cross. Cross was training and lecturing Lucy about Celestial Supportive Magic, Strike Summons, and Star-Whip Conjuration.

Lucy was sitting with her legs crossed while looking up at Cross, her full attention on her every action and words.

"I am very impressed at how you were able to figure out one of the many different powers of your Star-Whip.", beamed Cross.

"You mean when I was able to extend its reach with my will alone.", answered Lucy.

"That is correct. That technique is called Star-Whip: Will-Extension. It's a very powerful and effective No-Word Power Technique. It uses both the caster's connection to his or her Star-Weapon and the caster's magic power as well as the caster's will. There are also many other techniques that you'll be able to learn, but the only ways for you to learn about them is through meditation and/or through battle."

Lucy nodded at this and waited for Cross to continue.

"My fellow Sages and I thought up of a schedule for you to follow for this 1st month of your training. You'll be training with me every 1st and 2nd day of every week this month. We'll either spar, meditate together, or I'll teach you a spell from one of my specialties. In the 3rd and 4th day of every week this month, Lia will be training with you. In the 5th and 6th day of every week this month, it'll be Duet who will train you. Lastly, Isabella will be the one to train you in her specialties in every 7th day of each week of this month. We know that you'll excel in whatever we teach you and we're excited to share our knowledge."

"I can't wait to start.", Lucy said with a smile.

* * *

**So How Was This Chapter? How Was The Sparring Match Between Cross And Lucy? I'll Be Skipping Ahead To Her 1st Month Of Training Results, But Just Know That They'll Be More Sparring Matches Between Lucy And Each Individual Spirit Sage. Reviews, Comments, PMs Are Appreciated. Thank You For Reading.**

**This is the KnightWriterRLK signing off, for now. :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: Yay! I got new Favoriters and Followers, PaganPetrify, and Shinigamidemidragonslayer99. I also have another new Follower, k****andlelighteve. Thank you for reading, adding my story as your favorite and for following my story. Thank you as well to my other Reviewer, Favoriters, Followers, and silent Readers. **

**\- **manic kitty  
\- **AnimeLuver778**  
\- **Guardian of Heaven  
\- **Kimmy Rose  
\- **Nozomi69  
\- PaganPetrify  
\- kandlelighteve**********

**********\- and my silent Readers**********

**********Here is the next Chapter. I know I said Saturday, but I was close to the deadline, 12:28 AM. Sunday Morning. HAHA.**********

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN FAIRY TAIL AND ANY OF THE CHARACTERS, IDEAS, ETC. THE RIGHTS GO TO THE BRILLIANT "HIRO MASHIMA". THE SPECTRAL WOLVES FROM CHAPTER 1 WERE CREATURES FROM WORLD OF WARCRAFT. IT WASN'T MINE. I'M GONNA BORROW THE NAMES OF PLACES, AND MONSTERS/CREATURES, BECAUSE IT'S HARD MAKING UP NEW NAMES FOR PLACES, AND IT'S EVEN HARDER TO MAKE UP A NEW MONSTER/CREATURE THAT HASN'T BEEN THOUGHT UP OR USED YET.**

**CLAIMER: However, The Spirit Sages Are My Original Characters. The Special Topaz Key Of The Spirit Sages, The Different Types Of Celestial Magics, The Spells I Made Up. I'll Have More Original Characters Added, And Monsters That May Seem Odd, And I'll Add More Interesting Places Like The Court Of The Spirit Sages, As Well As Other Interesting Groups, And Ideas.**

* * *

**Chapter Five: The Results Of The 1st Month**

_**~ Begins In The Fields Near The Court Of The Spirit Sages ~**_

* * *

~ Lucy's POV ~

This was the last day of her 1st month of training. Lucy is sitting on the ground with her legs crossed over the other, her eyes closed, and her hands on her knees, as she meditates in the star-lit grassy fields to the south of the court. She recounts the memories of her training with them and a warm smile crosses her face. Her thoughts are going a million miles a minute as she communicates with her spirits through thought and tells them all the things that she's been through. Her Celestial Spirits were very well aware of her training with the Spirit Sages. Unbeknownst to Lucy, her Spirits as well as the Celestial Spirit King himself were watching her day to day progress while they sat around a room that the Celestial Spirit King calls, "My Observation Room". Her Spirits and The Celestial Spirit King were sitting on comfortable blue bean bag chairs and eating all kinds of food and delicious snacks as well as beverages as they watch Lucy's training through a 3D projection lacrima in the other side of the room. The only time they got to see or interact with their master was if they were called by her to help her in her training or if they needed to give her replicas of the clothes that she has in her closet back home, and this task was usually done by either Virgo or Aries. They all watched while eating as their master was meditating and sending them her thought messages, because she wanted to keep her spirits informed of her progress. They all heard her loud and clear and smiled at their master on the big screen projection of the 3D projection lacrima.

'Hey guys and gals. I miss you all. You can't believe how many things I've learned so far in this 1st month alone. I'm far from mastering them, but I know that I'm getting better. I want to become strong enough to fight by each and every one of your sides. You're all my friends and I'm training and doing my best, so I can protect you all, as well as protect Fairy Tail. You're all my family. I will become strong for both my spirits and for Fairy Tail. My new friends Lia and Cross put me through what I'd describe as, "Hell within the stars...", so to speak, because my training regime with both of them left me either unconscious, drained of magical energy, beaten, or all three at the same time. Both Duet and Isabella helped me to expand my magical energy reserves as well as teach and instruct me in their specialties. I know that all the things that they put me through was for my own good and that my new friends/mentors want me to become powerful. They are very serious about my training which I'm happy about, because I love training with them and they recognize me as an individual who has great potential. There were things that were very and I mean very difficult to learn, but with time and practice I was able to grasp the concept of the different magics that I learned. I also learned how to fight with many other weapons. I'm getting quite skilled in Star-Weapon Conjuration if I do say so myself, and so far I can conjure up a Star-Whip (which was taught to me by Cross), a Star-Fan (which was taught to me by Isabella), a Star-Sword and the different forms and variations of the sword (which was taught to me by Duet), and Star-Fist and the different forms and variations of fist-type weapons (which was taught to me by Lia). I'm also getting the hang of Celestial Supportive Magic and Strike Summons which you all know, because I try to summon each one of you at a time to get the hang of it (and it was taught to me by Cross). When Lia taught me Yellow Dwarf Star Magic, it was difficult. It took me a long while to get the hang of it, and I'm still trying to work on that field of magic. Red Dwarf Star Magic was easier to learn, and it was none other than Duet who taught me. I picked it up really quickly. When Isabella taught me Light Manipulation Magic I also picked it up really quickly. There was however an occurrence where I went blind for an hour or so because of a misfired spell, but I gained my eyesight and resumed my training with her. I can't wait to see you all and show you how much I've grown, but I still have another 8 more months of training. I'll talk to you all later. Wish me luck on my 1st month result test. Anything could happen, so maybe I will get to see you all during my test. The Spirit Sages want to me to show off what I've learned so far from them. Bye for now.', thought Lucy as she sent her message to all her Spirits and then resumed her meditation.

'Good Luck Lucy!', shouted Crux, Aries, Scorpio, Gemi and Mini, Horologium, Lyra, and Pyxis to Lucy via thought message.

'Good Luck Princess!', sent Leo, and Virgo to Lucy via thought message.

'Good Luck Miss Lucy!', sent Capricorn to Lucy via thought message.

'Good Luck Lady Lucy!, Moshi-moshi.', sent Sagittarius to Lucy via thought message.

'Be Careful You Brat!, sent Aquarius to Lucy via thought message.

'Good Luck!, ebi.', sent Cancer to Lucy via thought message.

'Make Sure Your Beautiful And Mooooooooolicious Body Is Safe Lucy!, sent Taurus to Lucy via thought message.

'Pun puuuuun!', sent Plue to Lucy via thought message.

Lucy smiles as she receives the thought messages and then concentrates more and goes back to meditating.

* * *

~ Lucy's POV ~

(After 1 Hour Of Meditation)

"Hey Lucy, are you ready?", asked Lia as she approached Lucy from behind.

"Yes, I am. Let's do this.", replied Lucy as she got up and turned towards Lia.

Lia was wearing a white kimono emblazoned with crimson roses all over, and she was wearing red flats, and her pink hair was tied behind her in a ponytail with a black scrunchy. Lucy was wearing a red t-shirt with a golden Fairy Tail mark on the front and back, with blue jeans tucked in her black combat boots, and her belt held her keys and whip. Her hair is in a side ponytail tied together with a pink ribbon. They walked further south of the fields, towards a hill where all the Spirit Sages are gathered. They're all wearing their trademark robes with the shadow of their hoods concealing their faces. The only ones that she recognizes out of the gathered Sages are Duet, Cross, and Isabella, because they're not wearing their trademark robes, but a similar looking kimono that Lia was wearing. As they got closer to the gathered Sages, she noticed that Duet, Isabella, and Cross were wearing what Lia was wearing except that their white kimonos were emblazoned with different colored roses and they each had different hairstyles. Cross had her white kimono emblazoned with yellow roses, while Duet had blue roses on hers, and Isabella had orange roses on her kimono. Cross had her blond hair down, while Duet had her crimson hair up in a bun, and Isabella's brown hair was in curls and she had an orange hairband with a yellow rose on it. Lia joined the Sages who were sitting in a semi-circle facing towards her. Lucy stopped within 10 feet of them.

"It's good to see you again Lucy. We're gathered here...today because we want to witness your progress up close. We were awfully busy with...things.", said Oni with his glowing red eyes looking towards Lucy.

'I wonder what sort of things were they busy with, but it's not my place to ask.', Lucy thought to herself with a neutral expression.

"We were watching your progress from afar, and we're...very impressed. We want to see your progress up close...and personal. In order to do that we want you...to vanquish all the summoned monsters in this deep valley.", said Oni.

'What deep valley is he talking about.', thought Lucy. When she blinked once she found out that her surroundings changed. There wasn't a hill in front of her and the star-lit grassy fields around her disappeared. She was standing in what looked like a very deep valley in Earthland. She looked up and saw blue skies, and white clouds, but among one of those clouds she saw the Spirit Sages. They were sitting on them as if it was normal. 'Oh, this valley.'

One of the Sages stood up and yelled out with a booming yet disembodied voice, "Now your 1st month result test will start when the summoned monsters appear. You will have as much time as needed to defeat them all. Survive, thrive, and show us what you've got."

Lucy saw Lia, Duet, Isabella, and Cross giving her 2 thumbs up. She gave them the same gesture back. She then surveyed her surroundings and brought her whip out.

'I have enough magic energy to summon 4 spirits at once and I estimate that they can stay by my side in at most 45 minutes when in combat. That'll be enough time. I can also use most, if not all of the magic that I was taught to a certain degree without fail. I just have to watch how much magic energy I use.'

She remembers Cross's words to her, "_Now Lucy, I'm gonna teach you a high level summoning spell. This spell has an interchangeable incantation and it should only be used before a battle begins because you'll be unable to move while __you're casting it. Strike Summons is different, because it can be used before and during a battle. Use this incantation well and use it wisely..."_

She holds out 4 of her golden gate keys in her left hand. She then began the Multi-Summon Incantation that was taught to her by Cross. A large golden magic circle appears where she's standing before she starts the incantation. Her magical pressure begins flowing outwards after every word. Her chocolate-brown eyes has a golden magic circle in each one.

**"I Call Upon Thee,**

**In The World Of The Celestial Spirits,**

**Open 4 Of The 12 Gates Of The Zodiac,**

**I Call Upon The Lion,**

**The Scorpion,**

**The Archer,**

**And The Golden Bull,**

**Leo!**

**Scorpio!**

**Sagittarius!**

**And Taurus!"**

As she finished her incantation, Leo, Scorpio, Sagittarius, and Taurus appeared out of a golden light that came from the magic circle and they stood with her back to back. The magic circle disappears after a few seconds.

"Are you ready guys?", Lucy asks her spirits.

"Yes!", they all say in unison.

All of a sudden an unknown number of monsters start appearing out of thin air all around the top of the valley. They were of varying shapes and sizes. Their skin were as black as night, eyes as red as blood, fangs and claws as sharp as steel, and they had purple tattoos all around their bodies which were radiating ominously. They were looking at them as if they were food. They were getting ready to attack.

She recounts an advice that was given to her by Duet, "_A Star-Sword is a blade that can cut down and purify any and all darkness from ones enemies. It can also strike them down without effort depending on the skill of the wizard. The power to save lives and the power to take it is thereby granted to those who wield this powerful blade. Isn't it amazing?..."_

Lucy then began to chant another spell.

**"The Weapon Of The Stars And The Planets, **

**Heed My Call, **

**Bless Me With A Weapon That's Worthy Of Thy Endless Power And Might:**

**Star-Sword:**

** Katana!"**

A bright orange magic circle appeared in her left hand, and within seconds, a katana made out of stars appeared in her left hand. It radiated a bright orange aura.

The monsters start charging towards them from all directions at once. There were at most 5 dozen monsters that took to the air and were charging right at them. They were much faster than the ones on foot. They looked like Gargoyles while the ones on the ground looked like Vulcans.

Duet's words rang through her head, "_...now then, let me talk to you about Red Dwarf Star Magic. It's a type of magic that can enhance attacks, and summon fire at will for you to control however you like. All types of Stars burn bright, but they each have their own separate element. The Red Dwarf Star is associated with fire. Enhancing attacks is one thing, but trying to control the fire of the Red Dwarf is another story..."_

Lucy swiftly walked over to Sagittarius and placed her right hand which was still holding her whip on the quiver which contained his arrows. She began to chant another spell. A red magic circle appeared on her right eye while another one appeared in her right hand.

**"I Grant These Arrows The Power Of The Stars,**

**Grant Them The Might Of The Red Dwarf,**

**May They Strike True,**

**And Burn Those Who Sagittarius Perceives As A Threat,**

**Star Magic: **

**Flames Of Might!"**

The arrows in Sagittarius's quiver starts glowing a faint red glow.

"Sagittarius, please take down the ones in the air, and we'll deal with the ones in the ground. You can help us deal with the ones on foot or should I say feet, when the ones in the air are gone. When you see an opportunity for an amazing shot, then feel free to take it.", Lucy told him with a smile on her face.

"I will do my best for you Lady Lucy. Moshi-moshi."

Sagittarius pulls out one of the glowing red arrows from his quiver and notches it on his bow, he then aims for the nearest flying monster coming towards their group. He lets it fly and as quick as lightning, the arrow hits its mark. A flying monster is hit in the head and the arrow doesn't just damages and kills it. The monster burns from where the arrow hit it, and it collides into one of its counterparts burning it in the process. The two turn into ash within seconds. That's two down.

Scorpio yells out,

**"Sand Buster!"**

His attack pushes back the Vulcan-looking monsters back as well as some of the Gargoyle-looking monsters that were in the air.

Leo's fists and feet started glowing a bright yellow light and he launches at the nearest ground monsters near him, taking out each one one with a flurry of well placed kicks and punches. One by one they turn to ash and disperse in the wind. No longer a threat to him and his comrades.

Taurus was barreling through his enemies left and right. His axe bringing down monster after monster by beheading them one by one, thus turning them to ash.

Lucy was attacking the Vulcan-like monsters by wrapping her whip around one and pulling them towards her so she can deliver the finishing blow with her katana. She took out 3 of those things using that strategy, but she had to change her tactic. A group of five were charging straight at her with 7 and many more close behind. The Gargoyle-like monsters changed tactics as well, and they started encircling the sky above them. This made it a little bit hard for Sagittarius to take them down, but she had confidence that he could. She cut off the head of another monster while her whip kept the rest at bay. They tried grabbing her whip, but she expertly retracted it back towards her out of their reach. This gave her an idea and it was perfect because it was really sunny where they were at. The wind was low, and this was to their advantage, otherwise the collective ash that was gathered from the creatures that they've slain would've hindered their sight.

She remembered what Isabella told her, "_...Light Manipulation Magic works best when there's a light source nearby, of course. When it's a perfectly sunny day outside for instance...feel the light around you, make it take shape, wield the light with care,..."_

When a group of monsters tried swiping their claws at her at once, she performed a backflip to dodge their efforts and land safely near Leo. She then began chanting and a bright, white magic circle appeared above her right hand.

**"Light Of The Sun,**

**Be At My Beck And Call,**

**Bless My Weapon With Thine Power,**

**Testamento De Lumiere!"**

The magic circle envelops her whip with a faint white aura. The magic circle disappears after the spell was finished being casted and her whip starts glowing brightly as if it was a Light Lacrima. She then lashes out at the nearest monster in a vertical downward motion and it was pushed back towards its brethren. She then lashes out her whip in its direction and a spear made of white light shoots out from the tip of her weapon and it pierces the chest of the creature. The spear bursts into a bright light and the creature turns into ash.

Sagittarius notches 3 arrows at once and keeps launching them at the flying monsters. Each of his hits takes them out and burns them swiftly. The monsters thought it smart to encircle them and attack as groups while the others kept encircling them, but this made his job a whole lot easier.

'It's very impressive that they're using a tactic where the enemy would be distracted by their constant movements while a select few randomly attack unsuspecting prey in groups, but I doubt that they'll get the drop on us.', thought Lucy to herself as she took down 5 all at once by wrapping one in her whip and using her momentum to launch herself at the ones near it. She then slashes horizontally at the creatures's throats. 'We're doing fine so far, but there seems to be an endless amount of them. It's already been 10 minutes. I've used up a quarter of my magical energy already. We've got to take them out quickly before I run out.'

"Lucy look out!", shouted Leo.

Lucy looked towards Leo's direction, and a big white blur was approaching towards her. Before she had a chance to dodge the oncoming threat, the white mass hit her with such force that she was knocked back towards a group of monsters. 'Was that Taurus?' She quickly regained her composure and swung her whip towards one of the flying monsters and used her momentum to go back to the ground near Taurus. When she landed painfully on her knees, she quickly got up and limped towards Taurus with her katana and her whip still in hand.

He was disappearing into orbs of golden lights, but before he completely left to go back and recover in the Celestial Spirit World he said, "I'm sorry Lucy. I tried my best."

"It's alright Taurus. Just rest up and I'll see you another time. You did an amazing job.", she smiled down at Taurus.

When Taurus disappeared back into the Celestial World, Lucy got up and started to chant to herself.

**"I Call Upon Any Spirit,**

**Through My Contract,**

**Through My Keys,**

**I Summon Thee Without Further Words,**

**I Call Upon Thee With A Strike And Thy Name,**

**Summoning Strike!"**

Lucy struck the ground in front of her and shouted out the name of one of her loyal spirits, "Capricorn." A brilliant golden light appears and Capricorn appears from it and joins the fight. 'This is not good. I can't move as swiftly, because of this injury.', thought Lucy to herself. She then began chanting another spell. A soft green aura starts surrounding her.

**"Oh The Stars,**

**The Light In The Sky,**

**Bless Me With Rejuvenation,**

**Regeneration!"**

The green aura shined brilliantly where her injuries were and they were quickly being healed up by her magic.

Capricorn dispatched 7 of the ground monsters already with swift and powerful punches. They turned to ash after being sent back flying towards the creatures in the back.

Lucy was facing off against 4 of those Vulcan-like creatures, sending a spear of light towards two, while cutting down the other with her katana. She dodged a claw swipe to her midsection, but she was grazed by 2 pairs of claws from her right and left. They grazed her left arm and right thigh. 'Did those things just flank me?', she asked herself while dodging and trying to gain her footing and blocking off another attack.

Sagittarius was shooting volley after volley of arrows at the last dozen of the aerial monsters.

Scorpio deflected claw swipes with his tail while dodging the rest, but he was quickly outnumbered. He disappeared into golden orbs of light since he took a lot of damage.

"I'm going back, Lucy. I've taken too much damage!", yelled out Scorpio.

Leo's suit was in tatters, but he wasn't as heavily damaged as he looked. He kept on fighting one after the other. He timed his kicks so that when he sees an opening, he turns that certain monster to dust with a well placed kick and uses the momentum from the kick to jump backwards and out of harms way.

'I've used up more than half of my magic energy, and my regeneration spell is wearing off. It's been 30 minutes.' Lucy quickly looked around at the sky, scanning for anymore flying enemies, and she let out a sigh of relief because they were all dispatched thanks to Sagittarius. She then blocked off another attack and countered with a kick, and before the monster flew away by the force of her kick, she wrapped her whip around it and threw it towards her. She jumped into the air, retracted her whip, and cut the creature from shoulder to stomach with her katana.

Lucy, Capricorn, and Leo had their backs to each other in a triangle formation with Sagittarius in the middle picking off one monster after another.

"How many are there left in front of you guys?", asked Lucy while panting for breath.

"I've got less than a dozen on my side, Princess", replied Leo.

"Same for this side, Miss Lucy.", answered Capricorn.

"I've got 7 here.", said Lucy. The green light where her injuries were disappears, which means that her spell wore off. She's now fully healed, but she's still catching her breath and composing herself while widening her stance.

"I'm taking care of the ones that are getting too close, Moshi-moshi."

"That's good. Now, let's charge at them one more time!", shouted Lucy.

They charged at the monsters altogether, but stopped in their tracks after a few steps.

The monsters were...combining themselves into a very very huge version of themselves. They all faced a gigantic Vulcan-looking monster that was more than 5 stories tall, with limbs the width of 4 tress, its pair of eyes still burning red but it has 4 of them now, and its mouth in a maniacal grin.

"Okay, change of plans.", Lucy says while assessing the situation and hiding the fear that skyrocketed from her inner core.

"Whatever it is, we're right behind you Princess.", said Leo while adjusting his shades and dusting himself off.

'Lady Lucy only has enough magic energy to keep all of us out here for 8 more minutes. She used too much magic energy casting those spells', thought Capricorn.

Lucy struck the area behind her with her whip and shouted out, "Aries". After a few seconds, Aries appears out of a brilliant golden light.

"I'm here to help out h..however I can, Miss Lucy. I'm sorry.", Aries squeaks out in a soft and cute tone while having her hands partially covering her mouth.

"You don't need to apologize, Aries. What I need you to do is to use Wool Wall to trap one of its feet, and the rest of us will attack it altogether. We have to do it quick, because this thing looks like its getting ready to charge. Capricorn, make sure you throw me high up into the air."

The monster did charge, but before it could get any closer to their group. Aries goes in front of their group and casts,

**"Wool Wall!"**

Aries's wool wall traps the creature's left feet and it was struggling to move. This gave Lucy's group a chance to attack.

Sagittarius kept on shooting arrow after arrow at the beast's head, while Leo chanted while moving his arms in a circular motion,

**"Regulus Blast!"**

Summoning forth a yellow magic seal in front of him, from which a large magical blast of light is shot forth towards the creature. In the meantime Capricorn lifts Lucy up and throws her into the air.

She recalls what Lia taught her about Yellow Dwarf Star Magic, "_Don't interrupt me when I'm talking. Now, I'm going to teach you a very powerful type of Star Magic. It's called Yellow Dwarf Star Magic. The Yellow Dwarf Star's element is both Light and Fire, therefore it's way harder to control. You must be very careful when trying to cast any spell from this branch of Star Magic, because if any of your movements or words in your incantation is wrong, then it could very well cost you your life. And I like you, so don't go dying on me now. You hear!"_

While in the air Lucy grins and lets go of her Star-Katana and Light Magic infused whip, thereby dispelling the Light Magic in the whip and the Star-Katana disappears in a display of orange orbs of light. Her magic pressure increases and she starts glowing a bright yellow aura. She then closes her left and right hand into a fist, except her middle and index fingers. She points her left hand with her palms facing towards the creature with her 2 fingers pointing horizontally towards the right and her right hand with her palms facing towards the left and her fingers pointing skywards and moving slowly towards her left hand. And while she does this she chants,

**"Observe The Light,**

**That Shines Through This Star,**

**Grant Me The Power,**

**To Vaporize The Darkness,**

**Open Thy Destructive Gate,**

**Come Forth And Deliver,**

**Both Fire And The Light,**

**Shine!**

**Star Magic:**

The fingers of both her left and the middle finger of her right hand touch, forming a cross and a giant magic circle appears in front of her. She then shouts the last words of the incantation,

**Fire Light Burst!"**

A bright golden light encircled by red fire shoots outward from the magic circle and hits the beast straight on and envelopes it in golden fire. The creature screams in agony for a few seconds until its cries are no longer heard by the sound of the fire engulfing it.

After less than 15 seconds the fire dies down and there's no trace left of the creature. There wasn't even dust left behind. Lucy falls from the sky, but before she hits the ground, she's caught by Leo.

"Thanks Leo, thank you everyone.", said Lucy in a weak and exhausted voice.

"It's no problem, Princess.", said Leo.

Leo lets Lucy down carefully, but then he just as quickly holds onto her because she almost falls down due to exhaustion and usage of too much magical energy. She's then surrounded by her spirits with smiles on their faces.

* * *

~ Lia's POV ~

"That was so damn amazing.", said Lia with a proud grin on her face.

"I completely agree. That was very splendid, very much so.", proclaimed Isabella with a proud smile plastered on her face and fanning herself.

"We've got ourselves one hell of an apprentice.", added Cross with a smile and her arms crossed over her chest.

"She's shown us so much progress in such a short amount of time.", Duet chided in with a singsong voice.

"Let's bring her back to the court. She looks like...she's about to faint from exhaustion.", said Oni.

Lia looks down towards Lucy and notices that all her spirits are gathered around her in a circle. "Yeah, we should do that real soon Oni, because our Lucy just fainted a few seconds ago."

"Crap, I lost the bet.", said a Sage with glowing brown eyes.

* * *

**That Concludes The 5th Chapter. How Was It? What Did You Think? Reviews, Comments, PMs, Etc Are Appreciated. Thanks For Reading.**

**This Is The KnightWriterRLK Signing Off For Now.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note: I'd Like To Give A Shoutout To My New Readers And Followers, Xenohawk, AmethistAngel, swallowmysoul, and scorpioNALU1992.**

**I Want To Say Thanks For Following, Reading, Favoriting, And Reviewing My Story.**

**A Shoutout To My Other Readers, Followers, Favoriters, And Reviewer.**

**-** **manic kitty  
\- **AnimeLuver778**  
\- **Guardian of Heaven  
\- **Kimmy Rose  
\- **Nozomi69  
\- PaganPetrify  
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************************\- Shinigamidemidragonslayer99************

************\- and My Silent Readers************

************This Chapter Is For All Of You.************

************Please Leave Reviews, Comments, PMs.************

************Now Onto The Story.************

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN FAIRY TAIL AND ANY OF THE CHARACTERS, IDEAS, ETC. THE RIGHTS GO TO THE BRILLIANT "HIRO MASHIMA". THE SPECTRAL WOLVES FROM CHAPTER 1 WERE CREATURES FROM WORLD OF WARCRAFT. IT WASN'T MINE. I'M GONNA BORROW THE NAMES OF PLACES, AND MONSTERS/CREATURES, BECAUSE IT'S HARD MAKING UP NEW NAMES FOR PLACES, AND IT'S EVEN HARDER TO MAKE UP A NEW MONSTER/CREATURE THAT HASN'T BEEN THOUGHT UP OR USED YET.**

**CLAIMER: However, The Spirit Sages Are My Original Characters. The Special Topaz Key Of The Spirit Sages, The Different Types Of Celestial Magics, And The Spells I Made Up. I'll Have More Original Characters Added, And Monsters That May Seem Odd, And I'll Add More Interesting Places Like The Court Of The Spirit Sages, As Well As Other Interesting Groups, And Ideas.**

* * *

******Chapter Six: The Recovery, A Meeting, And The Start Of The 2nd Month******

******~ _Begins_ _In The Fields Near The Court Of The Spirit Sages ~_******

* * *

~ Leo's/Loke's POV ~

After Lucy's amazing 1st month result test came to a close, she fainted and it was none other than Leo who caught her, while the rest of her spirits crowded around Leo. They passed through their own gate because they wanted to congratulate their beloved master and best friend, and they were also worried about her. Taurus, Sagittarius, Leo, Capricorn, Aries, and Scorpio were the only ones who were called into battle alongside Lucy, while the rest of her spirits watched the battle ensue through a 3D Projection Lacrima in The Celestial Spirit King's Observation Room. The Spirit Sages teleported all of them back into The Celestial Spirit World. Leo carried and placed Lucy onto her designated bed and sat down at the other beds while looking at the sleeping figure of Lucy, waiting for her to wake up.

The Spirit Sages were convinced of Lucy's amazing progress and talked amongst themselves 10 feet away from the beds.

"I see that some of you are speechless at our apprentice's performance earlier.", said a Spirit Sage with glowing orange eyes under his hood.

"Speechless is one of the words I'd describe it, but amazingly breathtaking is close.", said Isabella with a smile.

"I agree with that statement.", said Oni. "Who knew that we'd find such an exceptional candidate to...wield the power of the Guardian Spirits."

"Coming from you Oni, that is unheard of. The only ones you've suggested in the past to become Sentinels were both Layla and Jude Heartfilia, Keleon Galant, and lastly May Ravenclaw. They were 4 out of the 6 of the best Celestial Wizard Sentinels that we've ever seen.", said a Spirit Sage with glowing purple eyes under her hood.

"Lucy doesn't know it yet, but she'll a huge role to play in the future of the Celestial Spirit World. I know that you all know what I'm talking about.", said a Spirit Sage with glowing green eyes under his hood. "The S..."

"Don't mention their name here, ever!", hissed a Spirit Sage with glowing pink eyes under her hood, interrupting him.

"Calm down Jayne. We'll talk about this later, so for now calm your nerves. And besides we've got other Sentinels appointed and safeguarding the Gates. She'll be a reserve.", said the Sage with glowing green eyes.

"Yeah, a very powerful reserve.", said Duet with a smile.

"Now let's change topic.", said a Sage with a glowing green left eye, and a glowing blue right eye under his hood. "Lia, Isabella, Duet, and Cross. I'm very impressed at how much you've taught her. She used the spells with such a high level of accuracy and precision, both in its incantation and its movements. We know that she's skilled enough to perform the 1st out of the 5 Grand Spells in Celestial Supportive Magic, Red Dwarf Star, Yellow Dwarf Star, and Light Manipulation Magic perfectly. She was also very capable in casting the only Interchangeable High Level Multi-Summoning Spell. She even used Strike Summons twice with ease during a battle. How is she faring with the rest of the grand spells in those magics?"

"She's getting the hang of it. It'll take time for her to fully master them all. Her Regeneration Spell needs improvement, but we expect that with time and more practice, she'll be able to regenerate herself and her allies without even saying a word.", answered Cross. "We'll practice with her more thoroughly and extensively this coming month. If there's any Sage here whose interested in teaching her their specialties, then step forward now and stand beside us."

Cross, Lia, Duet, and Isabella all take 5 steps forward and turn towards their fellow Sages. They then turn around to find 2 more of their brethren walking towards them. They were quickly joined by the 2.

"We'll leave the training to you 6 for now. Don't...forget to train her in hand-to-hand combat as...well as other things.", said Oni.

A brown-eyed Sage standing near the one named Jayne says, "I'm only standing here, because I lost a bet to you Oni. Nothing more."

"Yeah, sure Godrick. Sure.", said Lia while punching Godrick in the shoulder.

In a flurry of lights, the 7 other Spirit Sages who weren't going to instruct Lucy left to go meet with the Celestial Spirit King.

"We know that you have an interest in Lucy, Godrick. You even bet that she won't faint and that she'll be able to finish her battle in less than 45 minutes.", said Duet with a teasing tone and her arms crossed.

"I have no such interest in that matter with the girl.", replied Godrick with his arms crossed. "And besides I was correct about the 2nd one, but whatever. I just wanted Oni to teach her early on."

"How very thoughtful of you.", chided in Isabella.

"Don't mention it. Now let's go and plan the next month's training schedule while waiting for her to recover. She used so much magical energy during that battle. It'll be a while until she wakes up. Let's leave her in the care of her spirits.", said Godrick while walking over to the table.

Jayne adds in, "Sounds good. I'm glad we used a battlefield in Earthland for her 1st month result test, otherwise she wouldn't have stood a chance." Jayne and the other women starts walking over to the table.

"I think she would've still passed, but it would've taken her much longer.", said Lia with her hands behind her head.

"I agree.", added Cross.

* * *

~ Lucy's POV ~

(4 Hours Of Recovery Later)

Lucy opened her eyes and saw the bright stars shining in all their glory. 'Huh?, I'm back in the Celestial Spirit World.', she thought to herself. 'How'd I get here?, and what happened?, Why do I feel so tired? Oh, yeah...that's right. The test. I know I passed. It's all coming back to me now.' Lucy looked around her and saw that all of her spirits were sitting around her and looking at her. Before she could say, "Hi", she was wrapped in a big group hug that lasted only a few seconds, and then all of her spirits went back to sitting at the other beds around her, except for Lyra, Loke, Aquarius, and Capricorn. They were kneeling beside her bed, while Lyra was still hugging Lucy, and Aquarius was lying across the foot of her bed. She was giving Lyra's hug back and patting her on the back to calm her down.

"We're so glad that you're alright.", said Lyra.

"You used so much magic power that you fainted Lady Lucy, Moshi-moshi.", added Sagittarius.

"You shouldn't have pushed yourself too much, Miss Lucy.", said Capricorn.

"But, we are very proud of your performance. You were very fierce and amazing in battle.", Leo adds in while giving her a flirty smile and placing his hands on her left hand.

"I agree with Leo's statement. You did an excellent job over all, but I advise you to work on increasing your magic level so your magic reserves can store more of your magic power.", said Capricorn.

A few beads of sweat dropped from the back of Lucy's head and an overwhelmingly bright smile crept up on her face. "I'm glad I'm alright too. I'm sorry about using too much of my magic energy casting that last spell. I wanted to end the fight as quickly as possible because I saw how exhausted you all were."

"That was very considerate of you, but be careful next time. You can be such a brat.", said Aquarius with a light smile while her right arm is supporting the weight of her head while she draped her left arm over her exposed belly.

"I'll be careful. I promise you all that I'll be careful next time.", said Lucy while scratching the back of her head with her right hand while her left is still patting Lyra in the back.

Lyra lets Lucy go and sits in the side of her bed while smiling at her. "You were asleep for 4 hours now."

"What, really? 4 hours!", shouted Lucy with her arms dropping to her sides.

"Yes. To be accurate, you were asleep for 4 hours, 2 minutes, and 15 seconds.", said Horologium.

"You used so much magic power that you lost consciousness. You seemed to have gained back approximately 15% of your magic energy. You need to rest some more. I'm sorry.", said Aries in a cute voice.

"We'll leave you to rest, Princess. We'll wake you up for dinner, but for now you need some rest.", said Virgo in a neutral tone. "We'll be watching you personally from now on. Watching your training through a 3D Projection Lacrima still isn't as good as watching you in person."

"Okay. I guess I'll go back to sleep. Thanks everyone.", said Lucy while yawning and stretching. It took her a few more seconds to process the last bit of information that Virgo told her, and then she yelled out, "Wait what?! You were all watching me!", shouted Lucy while throwing her pillow at Leo and looking annoyed.

Leo expertly caught it and gave it back to her. "We were watching you, because we wanted to know how you were doing. We were just worried about you."

"Punnnn Pun", said Plue while sitting on top of Horologium.

Lucy's mood changed really quickly. "Oh okay. Thanks you guys. I love each and everyone of you. Thanks for checking up on me. Promise me that you tell me next time when you're watching me or planning on watching me without my permission.", said Lucy with a smile.

"We promise.", said Leo with a smile on his face. Some of her spirits bowed in acknowledgement, while the rest either gave her hugs, and Aquarius gave her a soft punch in the shoulder.

"Well rest up now, ebi.", said Cancer. "We'll fix your hair and outfit later before dinner."

Her spirits start walking towards the 6 Spirit Sages that are gathered around a clearing where what looks like an actual bonfire is being held with marshmallows being roasted and are being served alongside beverages.

Lucy yawns one more time and lays back down on her bed. She looks at the stars in the sky one more time and falls back to sleep.

* * *

~ Lucy's POV ~

(6 Hours Later)

Lucy wakes up after some much needed rest and sits back up to see what's happening around her. She found that some clothes were left on the foot of her bed with a note placed on top of it.

_Dear Lucy,_

_Here are some nice clean clothes for you. Go change in the restroom behind your bed. The Spirit Sages moved it 15 feet from the headboard of your bed. They thought that it was much more convenient than being 200 feet from the court. Join us for dinner when you're awake. The Spirit Sages told us that they have some news for you._

_ \- From Your Beloved Spirits_

'How very thoughtful of them.', thought Lucy to herself while smiling. 'If only the Spirit Sages thought of that convenience earlier on. I did remind them countless times. It looks like they listened and that's good enough for me'

Lucy then picked up the change of clothes and walked to the restroom; complete with its own bath and sauna, made of white marble and opalescent tiles. She washed up a bit, and rubbed her aching muscles. She found that her injuries were recovering and that she was bandaged carefully. 'Aries and Virgo must've bandaged me up.', thought Lucy. She then put on the white tank top, blue jean shorts that stopped just above her knees, white socks, white flat sandals, white brassiere with matching underwear, her belt that had her keys and whip attached to it, and she put her hair down and combed it. The only thing that she put in her pocked was a handkerchief that Isabella gave her a few weeks ago. She folded it expertly and placed it in the front left pocket of her jean shorts. After she was finished getting dressed she walked over to an empty dining table and found that it was elongated and the number of chairs increased to include all of her Celestial Spirits a spot at the table.

'Huh, where is everybody?'

"Hey Lucy, I'm glad you're awake.", said Lia running towards her from her left.

"Hey, Lia. Where is everyone? The letter that my spirits left me told me to join everyone for dinner."

"That's why I'm here. We're having dinner somewhere else.", said Lia. "Just follow me."

"Okay then, lead the way.", Lucy starts walking alongside Lia towards an area in the court that she's never been in before.

They were walking by different sized pillars of different heights and made of different types of minerals and gems.

"So Lia, how was my 1st month result test?", asked Lucy while twiddling with her fingers.

Lia waited a few seconds and then answered, "Lucy, in my opinion..." Lia paused to build up tension.

"Yeah?", asked Lucy apprehensively.

"You did an amazing job. You'll need work on a few things, but overall you were amazing.", said Lia with a pleasant smile.

"Thank you.", said Lucy with her cheeks tinged light pink and a look of relief.

"Don't mention it."

The tinge in Lucy's cheeks disappeared as they kept on walking past broken down columns and pillars. "Hey, Lia. I have a question."

Lia puts her hand behind her head and interlocked her fingers together. "What is it?"

"Why are you, Duet, Cross, Oni, Isabella, and the rest of them called Spirit Sages?"

Lia stops walking and looks at Lucy straight in her eyes while bringing her hands to her sides. Lucy stops as well and looks at Lia's calm yet serious face for an answer. "We're called Spirit Sages because that was the title that was given to us by The Celestial Spirit King. He gave us this title and the power to control the different courts all around the Celestial Spirit World. These courts are actually separate gateways that connect to Earthland. That's why the time difference between the two worlds within the courts are different. These courts are the physical bridges between the two worlds. Our 1st responsibility as the Spirit Sages are to safeguard the gates to and from The Celestial Spirit World and Earthland from the inside. Our 2nd responsibility is to teach the chosen few Celestial Spirit Wizards the Lost Magics of Celestial Magic so that they can become, what we call, Sentinels."

"What are Sentinels? And what do they do?"

"Sentinels are the Celestial Spirit Wizards that we Spirit Sages have taught the Lost Magics of Celestial Magic to. They are tasked with safeguarding the gates connecting the two worlds from the outside. We Spirit Sages can't set foot outside the Celestial Spirit World, because we no longer have a physical connection to Earthland. That's why the Sentinels exist. They are the guards outside the gates."

"Wait, what about Cross? And why do the gates need to be guarded?"

"Cross was a female Human, who is a Celestial Spirit Wizard that was taught the Lost Celestial Magics. She didn't die in Earthland. She's been living here in the Celestial Spirit World for over 300 hundred Earthland years. The powerful Celestial Particles in the air here transformed her into a Human/Celestial Spirit hybrid. She's able to walk in Earthland, but it has to be through a Gate Key. She hasn't set foot in Earthland ever since she came here, but you might be able to change her mind. If she gives you her Gate Key, then you could call her to Earthland. She'll be contracted to you in a way, and just like a Celestial Spirit, she'll have to obey your commands and fight by your side. Now about the gates needing to be guarded...you need to ask the entire Court of The Spirit Sages. That information is very, sensitive."

"Oh, okay.", Lucy's thoughts were running in circles trying to process and store all the information that she was just given. "How come no one told me about this whole thing about the Sentinels?, and Cross?, and the gates? What's gonna happen when I finish training?, will I have to leave my Guild to go off and protect these gates?", Lucy was asking question after question because she was panicking. She didn't mean to yell at Lia, but she was getting emotional. She couldn't hold back her emotions, and her fears. She didn't want to leave her family. 'How come they never told me about being a Sentinel, how come I didn't ask? I'm so dumb. I wanted to become strong for my friends, for my spirits, for my Guild, but I don't want to leave them. What's the point of being strong if I have no one to protect?', Lucy's conscience asked herself. She was stuck in place like a statue. This new information that she was given is making her regret training with the Sages. Before she could ask another question, she realized that she was kneeling down, while tears were streaming down her eyes.

Lia was calm and collected. She didn't know how Lucy would react to her answers, so just in case things went out of hand, she ran through many different scenarios in her head before she met up with her. She knew that Lucy would ask these questions eventually. She kinda suspected that she'd ask her while she was leading her to the Grand Hall. This one would be scenario #13, and her questions were easy for her to answer truthfully. Lia then knelt in front of her and held her cheeks with both hands while wiping away her tears. "Lucy calm down. We didn't tell you about all this because it wasn't the right time, and besides...you didn't ask. When you finish your training with us, then you'll become a full-fledged Sentinel. You'll be a reserve because we've already got a squad of 9 Sentinels for each of the gates. There is only 1 gate in all of Fiore and it's in the north-west. That's the gate that you and your fellow Sentinels will be guarding. You'll only be a reserve. You don't need to leave your Guild. You'll still be with Fairy Tail. A Sentinel Reserve like you would be called in if there's an emergency, but no such occurrence has ever happened in 200 hundred years. So you don't need to worry about anything. Okay?"

Lucy was still whimpering, but her sobs were starting to recede. She looked at Lia's eyes that were filled with warmth, compassion, and honesty. "O-Okay. I-I-I'll calm down. I-I'm sorry. I didn't m-mean to br-break down crying like th-this in front of you. I-I just miss them all so much. I d-don't know what came over m-me. Th-Thanks Lia." She then draped her arms over Lia and embraced her in a light hug.

Lia gave her hug back with equal force while patting her back. "It's alright Lucy. You'll see them again. I really don't want to ruin the surprise for you, but...hmmm...you know what, I'll tell you anyway. The Spirit Sages have decided they'll allow you to visit and stay in Earthland for 2 days after your 3rd month of training here with us. This will give you a short break from training, and also a chance to visit your Guild. We know how much you've missed your family. We've decided on this special exception because your 1st month result test was spectacular."

Lucy stopped hugging Lia and looked at her straight in the eyes and saw that her eyes conveyed the truth. "R-Really? W-Wow. Th-Thanks. I'm so happy." More tears fell down her cheeks and she hugged Lia again, but with greater force.

Lia wasn't about to get herself squished by Lucy, but she had to admit that the girl was strong. Their training regime was showing really quick results. She hugged her back while saying, "Yes, really. And I'm glad that you're happy, because you deserve it. You shouldn't thank me yet though, because tomorrow will be the start of your 2nd month of training. Thank me and everyone else when you're 3rd month is finished. Now wipe those tears away and fix yourself up. We're almost to the Grand Hall. They're all waiting for the two of us."

Both Lucy and Lia stopped hugging each other and stood up from the ground. They dusted themselves off and fixed themselves. Lucy wiped off the rest of her tears with a handkerchief that Isabella gave her a few weeks ago and swiftly tucked it back in the front left pocket of her jean shorts. They then walked side by side without uttering a single word until they reached the enormous double doors which were 2 stories high and made of silver oakwood. The door's handle and decorations were made of jade. The decorations were of a tree that reached up to the ever-bright stars in the sky.

Before they opened the doors Lia spoke to Lucy in a very serious and frightened tone and looked at her with pleading eyes, "Please promise me that you won't tell anyone that I told you more information about Cross. If Cross ever finds out, then I'll be a goner."

"I promise I won't tell anyone. My lips are sealed.", said Lucy as she looked back at Lia's pleading eyes while placing her right hand to the right side of her sealed mouth and motioning a locking-my-lips-to-prove-that-its-sealed gesture.

The gates opened up as soon as Lia touched it, and it opened up to a very amazing and breathtaking view. They walked into the Grand Hall and Lucy stopped in her tracks, looked around with eyes wide open, and held her breath when she saw the room. It was a giant circular room, but the walls were filled with stars, nebulas, space, planets, star systems, and many more. There were pillars and columns that stretched to the heavens, but she didn't see a ceiling. There were comets moving around the room. In the middle of the room was a giant circular table made of stone with chairs made of ruby. 'This could seat at most 50 people.', Lucy thought to herself. 'The light in here is like the light outside. The very stars illuminate every inch of this area.'

Lucy saw 5 unhooded Sages sitting around the table with all of her spirits. They were all looking at the both of them. Her spirits were smiling at her, and she smiled back.

"Hey everyone. I'm sorry that we took so long.", Lia apologized. "I kinda got lost and sidetracked.", Lia said while scratching the back of her head with her right hand.

'I kind believe she just lied for my sake.', Lucy thought to herself while smiling at Lia.

"It's alright Lia. We weren't waiting long. We were just talking about the training schedule.", said Cross. "Now come join us you two. Dinner is ready."

They walked over to the table that was filled with platters of food, pitchers full of beverages, and goblets filled with sparkling apple cider. Lia sat down at a chair that had its back to the gates. Before Lucy sat down, she noticed that there were 2 Sages that she didn't recognize.

"It's time to eat everyone. Now go ahead and dig in.", Duet chided in.

Isabella, Duet, Lia, Cross, and all of her spirits started eating dinner.

The 2 Sages that Lucy didn't recognize both stood up, walked over to her, and they both started introducing themselves.

A tall woman that towered over her by 5 inches with glowing pink eyes, wearing the hooded robes of the Sages, and jade rimmed glasses on the crook of her nose shook her hand. She had long black hair that flowed down to her back and reached her waist. The bangs of her black hair framed her peach colored face perfectly. "Hi, it's so nice to meet you. My name is Jayne. I like long walks along the Celestial Beaches, reading novels, and eating vanilla ice cream.", Jayne said with a sweet tone in her voice while smiling.

"Hi. It's nice to meet you too.", said Lucy while smiling back at her.

"The one next to me is Godrick. He's a man of few words.", Jayne gestured towards a tall man named Godrick. Jayne stopped shaking her hand and let go.

Godrick towered both of them. He was at least a foot and a half taller than Jayne. He had coffee brown skin, glowing brown eyes that flickered all sorts of colors, and he had a shaved head. He had broad shoulders and features. 'He looks like he works out a lot.', thought Lucy to herself. He also had a Star-Spear strapped to his back by a leather belt that went over his right shoulder and draped around his body. The Star-Spear had a faint purple aura swirling and emanation from it.

"Hello, Lady Lucy. I am Godrick. It's very nice to meet you.", said Godrick as she took Lucy's left hand with his right, kneeled down, and gave it a quick chaste kiss. He then stood up in his full height and gave her a soft smile.

His introduction left Lucy with a red tinge in her cheeks from embarrassment and surprise. 'He's such a gentleman.', Lucy thought to herself. She then smiled back up at him and said, "It's very nice to meet you too Godrick. I'm guessing that you both will be helping me in my training for the 2nd month and so forth."

"The both of us along with Cross, Isabella, Duet, and Lia will be training you for the 2nd and the 3rd month, and like you said, so forth.", said Jayne correcting her while smiling softly. "It's gonna be tons of fun. We've already thought of and fixed up the schedule. I'm excited."

'I thought she was gonna be the strict and calm type, but she looks like she's about to jump from wall to wall out of excitement.', Lucy thought to herself.

"We can talk about the schedule later. For now, we should enjoy the feast celebrating the end of your 1st month of training and the start of the 2nd month.", said Godrick.

"You're right. Let's go ahead and eat.", said Jayne while already taking a seat next to Lia.

Godrick took a seat next to Jayne, and Lucy sat on the other side of Lia. They then begun to feast, talk, and they enjoyed each other's company.

* * *

~ Lucy's POV ~

(The 1st Day Of Her 2nd Month Of Training, And After Eating Breakfast)

Lucy was wearing a bright green t-shirt that hugged her body perfectly, blue track pants, white socks, black combat boots, red brassiere with matching underwear, a new leather belt that held her whip and gate keys, and a red wrist band on her left wrist. She had her blond hair in a ponytail, but she left her bangs intact. She was standing in a star-lit field that was to the south of the court. She was holding a Star-Fan (handheld fan that women of Royal Status keeps on their person) on her left hand and a Star-Whip on her right. Both of her weapons were radiating a bright orange aura around them. Standing a few feet in front of her was Lia. Lia was wearing a jet-black t-shirt that hugged her body, yellow track pants, black combat boots, 2 yellow sweat bands around each of her wrists, and she was sporting her Star-Fist Knuckledusters on both hands. They were radiating a bright pink aura that kept on encircling her arms. Lia had her long pink hair tied in a french braid. They were both facing each other, battle stances at the ready. Lucy's spirits and the other Sages were sitting on the elongated obsidian rock that now overlooks the field by a couple of feet. They're excited to watch a sparring session between Lucy and Lia. Lucy's sparring sessions with the Sages are always fun to watch.

"This will be your 1st time fighting with 2 different Star-Weapons. If you lose concentration for even a moment, then 1 or both of your weapons will disappear. You haven't yet mastered Star-Weapon Conjuration to its fullest extent. This sparring session will train your physical, mental, as well as your magical capabilities. This won't be like those other sparring sessions that we've had. If you happen to lose your weapons, just know that I won't hold back. I never do.", said Lia with a smile.

"Let's start. You can lecture and advice me while we're sparring.", said Lucy with a smile. 'I remember the power of your punches with and without your weapons. I'll just have to find a way to outmaneuver you and attack while your recovering.', Lucy thought to herself.

"I'll attack you in 3...!", Lia shouted out while holding out 3 of her fingers.

"2!", Lia shouted out while holding out 2 of her fingers and the soles of her feet started glowing a bright yellow glow.

"1!", Lia shouted out while holding out 1 finger and she disappeared in a blur.

Lia disappears in front of her and she starts looking around, trying to predict where Lia was going to attack from. 'My predictions with her attacks are never right, so I'll have to do something quick or else I'll get hurt. She used the 2nd of the Grand Spells of Yellow Dwarf Star Magic, Starlight Fire Fade. This is gonna hurt.', Lucy thought to herself while looking around warily.

Lucy lifts her right hand in the air and wills her Star-Whip to encircle her. She then starts casting a spell,

**"The Speed Of Light,**

**The Flames Of The Star,**

**Grant Me With Haste,**

**And Bless Me With Fire,**

**Shine!**

**Star Magic:**

**Starlight Fire Fade!"**

The soles of her feet starts glowing a bright yellow glow.

Lia appears behind her with her Star-Fist Knuckledusters and her arms encircled by golden fire...

* * *

**That Concludes The 6th Chapter. How Was It? What Did You Think? Reviews, Comments, PMs Are Very Very Much Appreciated. Thanks For Reading.**

**This Is The KnightWriterRLK Signing Off For Now.**

**I Finished This At 12:10 AM, on Thursday. **


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note: I'm Putting So Many Different Spins And Twists Into Things. The Plot Will Unravel Soon. I Know It's A Slow Buildup, But I Wanted To Introduce A Lot Of My Different Ideas. I Hope They Combine Together Perfectly, And Not Clash Together. I Hope I Blended Everything Correctly In A Sense In This Story.**

**I Placed The Shoutouts Below My Ending Comments And Questions.**

**Please Leave Reviews, Comments, PMs.**

**Now Onto The Story.**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN FAIRY TAIL AND ANY OF THE CHARACTERS, IDEAS, ETC. THE RIGHTS GO TO THE BRILLIANT "HIRO MASHIMA". THE SPECTRAL WOLVES FROM CHAPTER 1 WERE CREATURES FROM WORLD OF WARCRAFT. IT WASN'T MINE. I'M GONNA BORROW THE NAMES OF PLACES, AND MONSTERS/CREATURES, BECAUSE IT'S HARD MAKING UP NEW NAMES FOR PLACES, AND IT'S EVEN HARDER TO MAKE UP A NEW MONSTER/CREATURE THAT HASN'T BEEN THOUGHT UP OR USED YET.**

**CLAIMER: However, The Spirit Sages Are My Original Characters. The Special Topaz Key Of The Spirit Sages, The Different Types Of Celestial Magics, The Spells I Made Up, And The Group Called The Sentinels. I'll Have More Original Characters Added, And Monsters That May Seem Odd, And I'll Add More Interesting Places Like The Court Of The Spirit Sages, As Well As Other Interesting Groups, And Ideas.**

* * *

**Chapter Seven: Lucy Vs. Lia, And The 2nd Month Of Training**

_**~ Begins In The Fields Near The Court Of The Spirit Sages ~**_

* * *

[This Is Continued From Where We Left Off]

~ Lucy's POV ~

(The 1st Day Of Her 2nd Month Of Training, And After Eating Breakfast)

"I'll attack you in 3...!", Lia shouted out while holding out 3 of her fingers.

"2!", Lia shouted out while holding out 2 of her fingers and the soles of her feet started glowing a bright yellow glow.

"1!", Lia shouted out while holding out 1 finger and she disappeared in a blur.

Lia disappears in front of her and she starts looking around trying to predict where Lia was going to attack from. 'My predictions with her attacks are never right, so I'll have to do something quick or else I'll get hurt. She used the 2nd of the Grand Spells of Yellow Dwarf Star Magic, Starlight Fire Fade. This is gonna hurt.', Lucy thought to herself while looking around warily.

Lucy lifts her right hand in the air and wills her Star-Whip to encircle her. She then starts casting a spell,

**"The Speed Of Light,**

**The Flames Of The Star,**

**Grant Me With Haste,**

**And Bless Me With Fire,**

**Shine!**

**Star Magic:**

**Starlight Fire Fade!"**

The soles of her feet starts glowing a bright yellow glow.

Lia appears behind her with her Star-Fist Knuckledusters and her arms encircled by golden fire, and she's only a feet and a half away from Lucy. Lia's attack collides with Lucy's Star-Whip and what happened next surprised Lia. Lucy's Star-Whip entangled Lia's ankles together and lifts her 5 feet in the air. Lucy's Star-Whip starts to grip Lia's ankles even tighter as Lucy prepares to slam Lia onto the ground. Lia made no attempt to escape, instead her eyes were closed and her weapons were no longer in her hands. Lia was forming a triangle with her fingers, by touching her thumbs and her index fingers together. 'What is she up to?', Lucy asked herself. She quickly got her answer. The golden fire that was encircling her hands and arms, now encircled her entire body. The magical fluid-like stars that made up Lucy's Star-Whip was burned away from her ankles. Lia landed on her feet perfectly, with her weapons reappearing in her hands again.

'She's very clever. She escaped by expanding the golden fire from her arms. Now she's covered in it. Her attacks are going to hurt more and I won't be able to get a grip on her at all.', Lucy thought to herself as she jumped back a few feet away from Lia. 'My attacks won't even faze her, unless...I do the same thing.', this realization dawned on Lucy, but before she could act on it, Lia charged forward in her direction with blinding speed.

Lucy kept on dodging and blocking Lia's attacks with her Star-Fan. 'If I didn't cast Starlight Fire Fade earlier, then I would've been a goner right about now.' Lia kept on trying to pummel her with quick solid punches and strong kicks. Lucy's weapons and her entire arms were now encircled by her own golden fire, but the rest of her body wasn't. This proved to be a problem because Lia was targeting the rest of her body that wasn't encircled by the flickering golden fire. Her clothes were slowly getting burned away from the constant attacks from Lia.

Lia's 15th right punch to Lucy's face was deflected by her Star-Fan, while Lia's 18th left punch was blocked by Lucy's left forearm. Lia quickly shifted her weight around to the right, feigned a left roundhouse kick to Lucy's lower right midsection, and as Lucy tried to block the feigned kick, Lia spun around on her right leg and landed a strong and well placed heel-roundhouse kick to Lucy's lower left midsection sending her flying through the air.

Lucy was sent off flying a few feet and crashed painfully onto the ground. She got up as fast as she could and held the area where she was kicked with her left hand, while still holding on to her Star-Fan. 'Damn that hurt!', Lucy cursed to herself. She felt the touch of her skin instead of her shirt, and yelped out a slight, "Kyaaa!." Lucy gave her body a quick glance before returning her gaze back to her opponent. Her clothes were singed and burned in a few more places, her hair was a mess, she had minor cuts in her arms from blocking off Lia's strikes, and the skin where Lia landed a hit on her looks like it'll bruise later on. 'If it wasn't for this golden fire enhancing my attacks, defense, and my speed, then my arms wouldn't be functioning right now from all the hits I took from her. I have to turn this around.'

Lia was charging towards Lucy again with blinding speed. Lucy threw her Star-Fan that was still encircled with golden fire at Lia like one of Cana's Card Shuriken, while she threw her golden fire covered whip into the air. She then shouted out a spell while pointing her left palm towards her Star-Fan which was in mid-air and her fingers pointing skywards.

**"Star-Fan: Multiply!"**

A small orange orb of magical energy shot forth from a magic circle that appeared in front of her left palm and hit her flaming Star-Fan. Her weapon multiplied themselves until there was a dozen flaming Star-Fans heading towards Lia. Lia stopped in her tracks and dodged all of them, but the flying weapons kept on spinning in the air and trying to attack her.

While Lia was distracted and with her hands free, she formed the same triangle that Lia formed earlier with her fingers, with her thumbs and index fingers touching. 'I may not have mastered this technique, but this should make things even between us in terms of speed, attack, and defense for at least 15 minutes.' She closed her eyes, and chanted under her breath,

**"Starlight Fire Fade: Expansion."**

The golden fire that encircled her entire arms began to engulf her entire body. Both of them were now covered by the Golden-Fire of the Yellow Dwarf Star. Their attacks and defense were now enhanced by the flames and their speed were enhanced by the light.

Lia deflected and dodged the relentless attacks of Lucy's aerial weapons while shattering them one by one until they all disappeared into orbs of orange light. The Star-Fans kept on losing their durability every time Lia deflected them with her Star-Fist Knuckledusters, and when they were brittle enough, she shattered them with a few well placed jabs and back-fists.

Lucy caught her flaming whip in her right hand and chanted a conjuration spell since her Star-Fans were destroyed by Lia.

**"The Weapon Of The Stars And The Planets, **

**Heed My Call, **

**Bless Me With A Weapon That's Worthy Of Thy Endless Power And Might:**

**Star-Sword:**

**Gladius!"**

A bright orange magic circle appeared in her left hand, and after a few seconds, a gladius made out of stars appeared in her left hand. It radiated an orange aura that outlined the sword. The golden fire encircled the entirety of her blade. Lucy switched her grip into a reverse-grip on her blade and readied herself to attack.

* * *

~ Normal POV ~

(While The Battle Is Commencing)

"Hey Duet, how come Lucy conjured up a Star-Gladius? And why does she have such an odd grip on it?", asked Lyra.

"Lucy is using a Star-Gladius because it's better suited for close-quarters combat, it's easier to maneuver, and it's a great weapon for alternatively cutting, slashing, and stabbing. Lia is a very formidable close-combat fighter, which is why Lucy has a weapon that's easy to use for defensive purposes in close-combat situations. She is using a reverse grip which points the blade in the opposite direction of her thumb, so that she can block Lia's attacks more effectively. The disadvantage to this is that her Star-Gladius is a double-edged sword. If she doesn't meet Lia's attacks with an equal or greater force when blocking, then she'll accidentally stab herself.", answered Duet while observing the battle.

"It's a good thing that it's a Star-Weapon otherwise she'll hurt herself. It's also a good thing that she's training in the Celestial Spirit World.", said Isabella while smiling and drinking tea.

"What makes you say that?", asked Scorpio while his left arm is draped over Aquarius's shoulders.

"I'll explain it to you at once. Star-Weapons are made from the Celestial Wizard's own magic energy, but they also borrow power from the stars which makes them even more powerful. Lucy's Star-Weapons won't harm her, because they're made from her own magic energy. If she gets hit by her own Star-Weapons, then her body will just quickly absorb it right back into her. It's a good thing that she's training here in the Celestial Spirit World, because there's an abundance of stars around and it's easier for her to borrow their energy. If she goes back to Earthland, then she'll need even more focus and concentration when using Star-Weapon Conjuration and the many other Lost Celestial Magics, because she'll be farther from the stars. The basis of the magic that we're teaching her is to borrow the power of the stars and combine it with her own magic power.", said Isabella while fanning herself.

"When the stars deem her worthy enough, then they'll gladly bless her with their power. She won't need to borrow it, because she'll have the same powers as the stars. When she receives the Blessing Of The Stars, then she'll become a really powerful Celestial Wizard indeed.", added Cross with a smile.

"They'll be repercussions as well, don't get us wrong. With power comes great responsibility. The Special Topaz Key Of The Sages picked Lucy specifically. The key picks those who have true strength within them, those who have potential, those with faith in their own abilities, and those who have the indomitable will to never give up when all odds are against them. Those are the criteria that the Special Keys of The Sages look for when in search of Sentinels. Lucy is a very amazing woman because none other than the Topaz Key picked her. The Topaz Key is very picky and it only picks the best. It was the 1st Key made by the 1st Court Of The Spirit Sages after all.", said Godrick in a gruff yet powerful voice.

"You speak as if these Keys that you speak of have a mind of their own.", said Virgo with a neutral tone.

"The Keys of the 1st Court Of The Spirit Sages do in a sense have a mind of their own. The very stars above helped make these Keys with their own essence and a great deal of Celestial Magic was used in their creation. Each of the 50 of the eldest stars helped make 1 Key each and each of them blessed their specific key with a fraction of their power, thereby granting it a sliver of their conscience. The Celestial Spirit King also helped in the making of these keys. He was the Master-Keysmith that helped forge all 50 keys.", replied Godrick.

"Lucy already knows everything that we've told you so far. She looked like she was about to jump out of her seat when we explained the history of the Keys, the different powers that she knows so far, and everything else.", said Cross with a warm smile.

"Lucy does love to learn about new things, and when it has something to do with Celestial Magic and about the Celestial Spirit World, then she gets way into it.", said Leo with a cool smile.

"Yeah, we've noticed.", said Duet with a singsong voice and a warm smile.

"Enough with the chatter everyone, pay more attention to the heavenly battle that we are witnessing before us.", interjected Isabella.

* * *

~ Lucy's POV ~

(The Battle From Where We Left Off)

"You're tactics are getting better by the day.", commented Lia as she charged forward towards Lucy.

Lucy deflected 5 of Lia's punches with her gladius and stopped her kicks with her own, then she jumped back a few feet as she prepared herself to attack. "Thanks. I'm happy to hear that from you." Lucy charged towards Lia with blinding speed, but before she even reached a 3 foot radius from her, she released a small fraction of her magical energy to her left foot which instantly put her next to Lia's right side and without missing a beat she slashed at a downward diagonal motion with her gladius at Lia's upper right arm.

Lia deflected the strike from Lucy's gladius with both her knuckledusters; her left blocking the bottom part of the blade and her right blocking the top, and when she realized that Lucy was open she parried her strike downward while using her entire body's downward momentum to spin, aim, and strike the right side of Lucy's head with a left roundhouse kick.

Lucy quickly brought her right forearm to meet Lia's kick. She blocked the kick, but she was sent flying again by the force of the impact. As Lucy was flying in the air, she lashed out her whip at Lia and expertly entangled her entire body in it. She along with Lia were now both hurtling through the air. As Lucy was nearing the ground, she stabbed it with her gladius to stop her forward momentum by a quarter of a fraction. When she landed on her knees, she let go of her gladius and gripped her whip with both hands and used the last remainder of her forward momentum to slam Lia into the ground.

It took Lia a few seconds to recover, then she coughed up and spat on the ground before she got up. "Impressive Lucy. You're getting way better. You caught me off guard, for once.", Lia said with a grin. 'Lucy just performed Starlight Fire Fade: Flash Step. She's only sparred with me 8 times in the last month, this is our 9th time sparring, and she's only seen me use that technique not less than a dozen times. She is amazing.', Lia thought to herself while trying to hide the surprise and joy in her face.

"Thanks, I guess.", Lucy said while catching her breath. The golden fire than surrounded her dissipated, and her gladius that was in the ground disappeared in a brilliant display of orange orbs of light. "It looks like my 15 minutes are up."

Lia walked up to Lucy and the golden fire that surrounded her also dissipated, and her knuckledusters disappeared without a trace. "Don't worry Lucy. You'll learn to maintain the expanded form of Starlight Fire Fade with practice.", said Lia while smiling at Lucy. "That was so much fun. How's your ribcage?", asked Lia with concern in her voice and features.

"I'm fine.", replied Lucy with sweat in her brow, and an exhausted smile. When she got up, she almost fell to her knees, but Leo quickly appeared beside her to steady her.

"It doesn't look like your fine at all. You should rest for awhile Princess.", said Leo with a worried tone and expression in his face.

"You worked hard today, and you proved yourself. You're improving and I like it, but you should also be honest with us when you're exhausted. Don't push yourself too hard.", said Lia while smiling at Lucy and patting her shoulder.

"Thanks you two. I'll be fine. I do need to rest and I am kind of hungry.", said Lucy. As if on cue her stomach makes a rumbling sound and her cheeks turn a bright crimson color.

"Kind of?", said Lia while chuckling.

"Come on, let's get you something to eat.", said Leo while supporting Lucy with their arms around each other's shoulders.

* * *

~ Lucy's POV ~

(TIME SKIP - 2nd To Last Day Of The 2nd Month Of Her Training, After They Finished Eating Breakfast)

Lucy is meditating out in a field that's north west of the dinner table, just 50 feet away, in an area surrounded by random jagged pillars pointing towards the many different stars in the sky. Lucy's hovering a few feet over the star-lit grassy fields of the court. She's wearing a light-blue tank top with a white t-shirt underneath that hugs her body perfectly, blue jeans, white socks, brown combat boots, blue brassiere with matching underwear underneath it all, and her signature leather belt with her keys and whip attached to it. Her long blond hair is up in a side ponytail held by a yellow ribbon. Lucy's eyes are closed, and her hands are on her knees, her posture was perfect, and her chin was parallel to the ground. It's been 4 hours since she began meditating. She recalls all the training that she's endured in the last 2 months while she reaches out her magic energy to the stars, using the pillars as a medium to point her to each separate star. She then starts recalling her 3rd day of training during her 1st month here.

_[Flashback To Her 3rd Day Of Training During Her 1st Month]_

_Lucy and Lia are both sitting with their knees on the ground and facing each other, atop a star-lit grassy field hill. Lucy was wearing a pink t-shirt that's a little loose, red gym shorts, white socks, neon green sneakers with black and white stripes, black brassiere with matching underwear, and her signature belt which held her keys and whip. Her blond hair was down and her bangs framed her peach colored face while Lia's pink hair was curled and flowed down from the sides of her light-peach colored face and it touched the middle of her back. Lia was wearing a gothic lolita outfit complete with black and purple frills, a white bow on the top of her head which matched her white, black, and purple outfit perfectly. She took of her boots and placed them next to her, which left her white stocking covered legs uncovered.__  
_

_"What you're going to try to achieve today is called Astral Star-Meditation. It's a form of Astral Projection.", said Lia with a smile._

_"Wait, I have to learn how to meditate?", asked Lucy._

_"Yes, do you have a problem with it.", answered Lia with obvious annoyance._

_"No, no ma'm, but can I ask why? And how can I do that?"_

_"The answer is very simple, yet complicated. The reason why you should be meditating is __because it helps you communicate with the stars, which is where all the powers of a Celestial Wizard lie. The stars up in space aren't just balls of hot gas which some scientists/astrologers in Earthland have led you and others to believe. They are very ancient, powerful, and sentient beings. They..."_

_"Wait, the stars are alive?", Lucy asked interrupting Lia, but then she got hit softly in the head by Lia._

_"Don't interrupt me when I'm talking.", said Lia with clearer annoyance while her green irises and the whites in her eyes flicker with power._

_"I'm sorry, please continue.", Lucy said while rubbing her head where Lia's fist hit her and smiling weakly. 'Scary.', Lucy thought to herself._

_"Okay then, where was I. Oh yeah, They are as much alive as you and me. The difference is that I'm alive in the Celestial Spirit World, but I'm dead in Earthland, since I have long since past from that physical world. All magic came from one origin, you know it as the Essence of All Magic, or the One Magic. The 50 eldest stars above haven't disclosed to anyone how it originated, but they did disclose that they learned magic by observing the All-father of all magic. They created Celestial Magic in all its forms just by observing the One Magic. That's why you need to meditate and communicate with the stars, because they will teach you and help you improve in your practice of Celestial Magic. Some of the stars may be hesitant at 1st, but if you keep on showing them that your eager to learn, then they will be happy to teach you what they know. And to answer how you should do it correctly will be easier if I show you.", said Lia._

_Lia sat down with her legs crossed one over the other, she closed her eyes, and placed her hands on her knees. Her back was straight and her chin was parallel to the ground. Lucy didn't see anything happen, but she felt an immense amount of magical pressure coming from Lia after a few seconds passed. After a minute, the magic pressure in the air disappeared and Lia opened her eyes._

_"What you need to do is reach outwards with your magical energy and try to communicate with the stars. You have to release your magical energy in waves which will release your own unique magical pressure. That's the 1st step, the 2nd is to point your magical energy pressure skywards and try to reach one of the closest of the Elder Stars near you. You have to imagine yourself as a ghost or astral spirit that's gliding through space using your own magic energy.", said Lia. "It'll be difficult at first, but you'll get the hang of it. It's easier if you have a magical pressure medium that's pointing towards the specific Elder Star that you want to contact. When you do make contact with one of them, don't be formal. Be yourself. It's not like they don't know who you are. They watch you and everyone else."_

_"Ummmm...Lia...that sounds really wrong when you put it that way.", pointed out Lucy while a crimson tinge crept up on her cheeks._

_"Ahhh...no. Gosh Lucy, you're so green-minded. I didn't know you were a pervert.", said Lia while covering her mouth and a shocked look conveyed in her eyes._

_"What?! No, I'm not a pervert!", Lucy shouted out._

_"Hehehehe, did I strike a nerve. I'm sorry. I was just kidding. Or was I.", said Lia with an amused look in her face. Her face reverted to a neutral smile, as she said, "Anyway, what I meant was that they watch everyone's progress through life. The obstacles that everyone faces, the sorrow __that they've endured, the hardships, they've seen it all."_

_"Oh okay. I get it. I know what you mean.", said Lucy with a half-hearted smile. The red tinge in her cheeks disappearing slightly._

_"I'm glad that you're an understanding person. You seem to take new information like this really easily. You must love to learn about new things.", said Lia with a kind smile._

_"Thanks. I do love to learn about new things, and when it has something to do with Celestial Magic, I love it all the more.", said Lucy with a warm smile. "I have a question before I start meditating."_

_"Sure, ask away.", said Lia._

_"The other night, Oni mentioned something about The Blessing of The Stars, what kind of blessings did you Spirit Sages receive? Like specifically?", asked Lucy with obvious __curiosity._

_"The Blessing of The Stars are very __unique gifts granted to us Spirit Sages and any Celestial Wizards that communicate with the Elder Stars. If any of the Elder Stars deem you worthy enough to receive a gift from one of them, then you'll be granted that gift. It'll be with you forever. A specific example is...hmmmm...it's really hard to describe a specific example, but let me show you something that proves that I've received a gift.", answered Lia. She then held out her left arm with left fist balled up and pointing towards Lucy while her inner forearm was facing skywards. Lia shouted out,_

**_"Release: 1st Emblem!"_**

_A sudden brilliant yellow light shined from a particular location on the skin of Lia's inner forearm and a small yellow mark in the shape of a sun with yellow flames coming from it appeared._

_"What is that?", asked Lucy while pointing towards the new yellow mark that shined as if it had glitter all over it._

_"It's an emblem given to me by Elder Star Solaxues. This emblem is a sign of the gift he gave me. He gifted me with a small fraction of his power. I can't really go into too much detail about how much magic power that is, because it's hard to calculate.", said Lia while smiling down at her emblem. "He is a pretty generous and nice Elder Star."_

_"I can't even begin to speak about how amazing that is. So when you've been given a gift by an Elder Star, you gain an emblem like that. Do you have a choice as to where it goes? And why did you hide yours?", asked Lucy with even more curiosity and numerous twinkles in her eyes._

_"Some Elder Stars give you a choice, but some don't. It's all up to what mood their in. We Spirit Sages hide our emblems because we can. We believe in privacy, secrecy, and surprise. However, that may not be the case for certain Celestial Wizards and Spirit Sages who were given a gift by an Elder Star who doesn't like it when their emblems aren't shown. The Elder Star that gives that said Sage or Wizard a gift are the ones that can allow them to hide their emblem. They can't take back the gift that they've given you, but they rule over whether they want their emblem shown to the public or not. Their mysterious and odd in a sense, but all the Elder Stars are kind in their own way.", said Lia._

_"That's interesting. I can't wait to have a chat with one of these elders. They sound like very interesting people...I mean stars.", Lucy said with a smile and a light chuckle._

_"They are. Now do what I've instructed you to. Hopefully you'll get the hang of __meditation by the end of the day.", Lia added._

_"Okay. I'll try it now.", said Lucy. She imitated Lia's movements from earlier by crossing her legs one over the other, placing her hands on her knees, straightening her back with her chin parallel to the ground, and she closes her eyes._

_"Meditate for as long as you can. I'll be right here watching your progress silently.", Lia said quietly._

_[Flashback Ends]_

Lucy reached out her magical energy to a jagged pillar made of diamond and uses it as a medium to contact Elder Star Joseph Jo'Erne. She concentrates her magic energy and propels it skyward, imagining herself as an Astral Spirit in order to contact the Elder Star directly. The darkness under her eyelids were replaced by light. Lucy saw herself standing above water, while orbs of light, fire, and water were randomly flying through the air. Lucy saw a figure standing several feet away in front of her. This figure walked closer and closer to her until they both were only 4 feet away from each other. The figure looked like a man, with tanned skin, blue irises in his eyes, standing 2 feet taller than her, and he wore a white toga which reached his knees and left parts of him bare. His entire body was the epitome of a perfect man in his 30's, with well toned abs, lean muscles, and sexy calves. 'I miss Natsu.', Lucy thought to herself while smiling a small and gentle smile to hide her sadness. He was barefoot and walked on top of the water with such authority and elegance that surprised Lucy when she 1st met the Elder Star. She knew that he was an Elder Star, and that this was the form that he takes when talking with any of the Spirit Sages and Celestial Wizards that contact him.

He crossed his arms under his chest, smiled at her and said in a booming voice, "Welcome back to my domain, Lucy Heartfilia. I see that you've received my message."

"Yes, I've received your message loud and clear. The other Elder Stars that I've talked with mentioned to me that you wanted to talk with me about something very important.", Lucy replied a little warily, but with a normal smile on her face.

"I'm glad that my brethren actually delivered my message to you. You may be wondering why I have called you to my domain, it's a simple reason really. I have asked for you specifically because I want to give you a gift.", said the Elder Star.

The look on Lucy's face changed from wariness to utter shock and disbelief when she heard what he just said. She then shouted out, "Wait!?WHAT!?, D-Did you j-just say gift? You mean you're going to give me a gift, b-b-but why? I mean no disrespect, it's just that I'm...it's...uhhhh...hard for me to believe this. I've only been training with the Sages in Lost Celestial Magics for almost 2 months. W-What m-made you want to...I'm sorry. I'll stop talking now.", said Lucy. 'Oh my gosh, I just made a fool out of myself in front of an Elder Star. OH MY GOSH! What the heck is wrong with me? I'm such an idiot.', thought Lucy to herself as she quickly looked at her feet and shuffled them, trying to avoid the Elder Star's gaze. Even though her body is an Astral Projection, she could feel the heat from the Elder Star's gaze on her.

What Lucy heard next was something unexpected. She didn't know how Elder Star Joseph Jo'Erne was going to react to her reaction, but what happened next was completely unexpected. "Hahahahahahahaha, oh for the love of the high stars of the heavens, hahahahahahaha. That was comical and may I say, epic. Hahahahahahahaha, I haven't, hahahaha, laughed like, hahaha, this, haha, in centuries, hahahaha. Your reaction, haha, was, hahaha, one of, ha, the best, hahaha, I've ever, hahaha, seen.", Elder Star Joseph Jo'Erne laughed out while rolling above the water and holding his sides.

Lucy's jaw dropped at the sight before her. She was completely dumbstruck, awestruck, shocked, and many other things that she couldn't pinpoint all at once. The Elder Star laughed at her reaction. She had no words or thoughts to register what was happening at the moment. She just stood there, watching him roll over while laughing.

After a few minutes the Elder Star stopped laughing and slowly stood up to his full height while staring at Lucy straight in the eyes with a big smile on his face. Lucy just stood there staring back at him while shuffling her feet, and looking embarrassed. Her cheeks tinged with crimson. "I'm so sorry about that. It's been centuries since I've laughed that hard and that much. You're reaction was just so very unique.", he said while smiling.

"It's alright.", Lucy replied while looking even more embarrassed as the crimson tinge from her cheeks was quickly spreading throughout her entire body, and she felt like steam was coming out of her ears.

"Don't be embarrassed. You're reaction was justified. Yes, I did say gift. I want to give you one of my gifts. It shouldn't be hard for you to believe this. You've worked hard every day. What made me want to give you one of my gifts is simple. You've studied Blue Giant Star Magic under Spirit Sage Godrick and you've proved yourself to be a prodigy in that branch of Star Magic. I believe that you'll be able to master it faster than the rest. That is why I will give you one of my gifts. Blue Giant Star Magic is a very difficult branch of Star Magic to master because the Blue Giant's associated elements are Light, Fire, and Ice. It's Light element may not be as strong, and so as it's Fire element compared to other stars, but the fact that it has the element of Ice mixed in with the other 2 elements makes it a very powerful and very versatile type of Star Magic. For you to be able to control these 3 elements together with ease is extraordinary. That's why I've decided to give you a gift. Does that answer your questions?", said Elder Star Joseph Jo'Erne.

"Y-Yes it does. T-Thank you very much for your consideration Elder Star Joseph Jo'Erne, sir.", Lucy said as she bowed down while the tinge of crimson began to dissipate, but stops in her cheeks. The Elder Star's words of praise is making her insides filled with butterflies. 'I Am So Happy. An Elder Star Just Praised Me And Recognized Me.', Lucy thought to herself. "I won't let you down. I'll use your gift wisely."

"No need for formalities my dear. You'll be a bearer of my emblem, and a carrier of one of my gifts. Raise your head high and be proud of your achievement.", he said.

Lucy raised her head and stood in her full height and looked at him with a warm and bright smile. He approached her slowly until he was an arms length away from her.

"Now that's better. Okay, this emblem that I'm about to give you will be in your right cheek, approximately 5 centimeters below your right eye. It's my own personal emblem that'll show everyone that you've received one of the Blessings Of The Stars. I won't allow you to remove it. I believe that you'll like the emblem, and that you'll think it to be...what's the word...cute. Yes, that's it.", the Elder Star said to her while smiling brightly. He then raised his left hand and touched her right cheek, approximately 5 centimeters below her right eye. Lucy felt a burning and cool sensation on her cheek. The Elder Star began to chant,

**"I Bless You,**

**Lucy Heartfilia,**

**With My Emblem,**

**I,**

**Joseph Jo'Erne,**

**1 Of The 50,**

**Give To You A Fraction Of My Power,**

**I Give To You The Cold-Flames Of Emotion,**

**May It's Flames Be Yours To Control,**

**May It's Light Be Yours To Command,**

**May It's Ice Be Yours To Shape,**

**3 Elements Into 1,**

**1 Element Into 3,**

**A Blessing Of The Stars,**

**Is Now Forever Yours!"**

When the Elder Star finished his chant, he let his hand fall to his side, and he smiled at Lucy. Lucy no longer felt the cool and burning sensation on her right cheek. "It is done.", said the Elder Star. "You may go now.", he said while walking backwards and waving at her.

"Thank you.", Lucy said with a bright smile while waving back at him.

"You're welcome Lucy. You'll learn to control the gift that I've given you in time. I'll see you whenever you decide to contact me again. The stars will always watch over you. Look to us above for guidance whenever you're lost.", said the Elder Star.

After Lucy heard the Elder Star's good bye, she willed herself to go back to her body. She pulled her Astral form back into her body using her magic energy as a tether. She then felt the grass underneath her, and knew that she was back in the Court Of The Spirit Sages, and back in her own body. She opened her eyes to see Lia in front of her.

Lia had a really bright smile on her face as she spoke up and said, "Hey, Lucy. I see that you've been given a blessing. Take a look at what the emblem looks like." Lia holds up a handheld mirror with a silver handle up to Lucy's face.

Lucy saw a navy blue emblem on her right cheek that's approximately 5 centimeters below her right eye. It looks like a sun with blue flames coming from it, and it's surrounded by 3 miniature diamonds that form a triangle around it. "It looks absolutely gorgeous and cute.", said Lucy as she touched the emblem.

"I'm so proud of you. We should test out your new gift tomorrow. I am sad to say that you won't have a 2nd month result test, because the other 7 Sages are occupied. They said that something urgent came up, so they're postponing it for now. They refused to tell me and the other 5 about what happened. We'll just keep on training you until your 3rd month is done. You'll have a great 2 day break, so you can visit your friends and relax.", said Lia with a smile. "And don't worry about us Sages, we can handle ourselves. These urgent emergencies are sometimes just false alarms. Come on, let's go and show the others your emblem and also have dinner while we're at it. You've been meditating for a long time. You didn't even get to eat lunch."

Lucy and Lia both stood up and walked towards the others. They were seated around the dining table and getting ready to eat dinner. As they walked, Lucy touched the emblem on her right cheek and thought to herself while smiling, 'Thank you Elder Star Joseph Jo'Erne, you won't regret giving me this gift.'

* * *

**So What Did You Readers Think? What Type Of Power Has Lucy Been Given? What's Got The Spirit Sages Occupied? Should I Eat A Hawaiian Pineapple Pizza Or A Chicken Flavored Hot Pocket? Please Don't Hesitate To Review, Comment, And/Or Message Me Privately (PMs). They Are All Appreciated.**

**\- This Is The KnightWriterRLK Signing Off For Now.**

**P.S.**

**A Shoutout To My Followers, Reviewers, Readers, And Favoriters.**

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**Thank You So Very Much For Following, Reviewing, Reading, Favoriting, And Supporting Me.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note: The Start Of Her Day In This Chapter Is Long, But Something Unexpected Will Happen. You Probably Already Suspected That Due To The Title Of This Chapter. I Like Foreshadowing. Who Could These New Friends Be? You'll Find Out.**

**I Placed The Shoutouts Below My Ending Comments And Questions.**

**Please Leave Reviews, Comments, PMs.**

**Now Onto The Story.**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN FAIRY TAIL AND ANY OF THE CHARACTERS, IDEAS, ETC. THE RIGHTS GO TO THE BRILLIANT "HIRO MASHIMA". THE SPECTRAL WOLVES FROM CHAPTER 1 WERE CREATURES FROM WORLD OF WARCRAFT. IT WASN'T MINE. I'M GONNA BORROW THE NAMES OF PLACES, AND MONSTERS/CREATURES, BECAUSE IT'S HARD MAKING UP NEW NAMES FOR PLACES, AND IT'S EVEN HARDER TO MAKE UP A NEW MONSTER/CREATURE THAT HASN'T BEEN THOUGHT UP OR USED YET.**

**CLAIMER: However, The Spirit Sages And Elder Stars Are My Original Characters. The Special Keys Of The Spirit Sages, The Different Types Of Celestial Magics, The Spells I Made Up, And The Group Called The Sentinels. I'll Have More Original Characters Added, And Monsters That May Seem Odd, And I'll Add More Interesting Places Like The Court Of The Spirit Sages, As Well As Other Interesting Groups, And Ideas.**

* * *

**Chapter Eight: 1st Day Of Vacation, And New Friends In The Rain**

_**~ Begins In The Middle Of The Court Of The Spirit Sages ~**_

* * *

~ Lucy's POV ~

(The 1st Day Of Her 4th Month In The Celestial Spirit World)

Lucy has just finished her 3rd month of training with the Spirit Sages. She has gotten pretty close with all of them. She considers them not just her mentors, but as her new friends as well. They've shared countless laughs, painful moments, and fun nights gazing at the stars while telling stories to each other before going to sleep, and other times gathered around a bonfire while roasting and eating S'mores after a long and exhausting day of training. The 5 women that she's grown close to were now more like the sisters that she's never had, but always wanted and Godrick; the only male Spirit Sage that's her friend and mentor so far, was like a big brother to her. She got to know him better and found out that under his broad features lies a gentle giant. All 6 of the women think and see him as a big cuddly teddybear. They've used every passing day as a chance to get to know each other more before, during, and after their training sessions.

Lucy also got even closer and got to know her Celestial Spirits even better. She can talk to all of her spirits perfectly and clearly through a Mind-Link that has grown stronger with every passing day that she spent with them. They can feel her emotions and Lucy can feel all of theirs.

They helped train her along with the Spirit Sages and they gave her amazing advice, pointers, and instructions which helped her in her training. She's trying her very best to master the Lost Celestial Magics that her mentors/friends; specialized in, taught her. Lucy's physical, mental, and magical attributes and capabilities have improved greatly in just 3 months. She can now call upon 5 of her Celestial Spirits all at once to help her in combat and she can keep them by her side for at most an hour and a half while still retaining enough magic power to fight alongside them.

Lucy has almost mastered Blue Giant Star Magic, Celestial Supportive Magic, and Strike Summons. She has become very adept in Yellow Dwarf Star Magic, and Red Dwarf Star Magic. Godrick taught her Star-Armor Conjuration and she's still trying to get used to it. She's not all that familiar with wearing armor herself, so she's getting adjusted to it. Jayne and her 10 Celestial Spirits of the Zodiac helped her with Constellation Magic, and since Lucy only has 10 of the 12 Golden Gate Keys of the Zodiac, Jayne only taught her 10 of the 12 Grand Spells. She's still getting used to the spells's effects. They use up too much of her magic energy to maintain, and it leaves her with only half or less of her magic energy remaining after a short period of time. They are very powerful spells that are only supposed to be used as a last resort when nothing else works. That's what Jayne keeps on telling her every time they practice The Constellation Magic of the Zodiac.

Lucy has been getting better with Star-Weapon Conjuration and the handling of the weapons that she's been taught to conjure up so far. She's almost as good as Cross when it comes to fighting with a whip...almost. She's improving her swordplay, and her close-quarters fighting style, but she's still not good enough to match Duet's skill with the sword or Lia's skill with close-quarters combat. Learning Star-Archery with Jayne was very fun and interesting, but she needs a lot more practice. Star-Spearmanship was a very painful thing to learn and it didn't help that Godrick was her teacher. She spent more times falling on the hard ground rather than standing and sparring with him. That's how she found out that Star-Armor was very very useful, because it lessened the damage that Godrick did to her but the impacts still hurt so much. Her skill with the Star-Fan was improving, but Isabella wouldn't let her catch a break. She's a great friend and a really really nice person, but when they sparred, Lucy found a different side to her that reminded her of Erza and Mirajane. And she still gets chills whenever Isabella goes way too far when they spar.

During one of Lucy's sparring sessions something odd yet intriguing happened. When Lucy and her Celestial Spirits and the Spirit Sages found out that Lucy was given a Blessing Of The Stars by one of the Elder Stars, they were beyond proud of her, because they know how much of a huge honor it is for Lucy to gain a Blessing. Lucy was trusted with a huge responsibility and they could do nothing but smile and pat her in the back while giving her their praise at her accomplishment. The intriguing part was how they found out what kind of gift it was that she was given. Lucy would forever remember that day because it was the day that she almost burned down and froze the Court Of The Spirit Sages. It was one of the most interesting sparring sessions that she's ever had, but her new friends and spirits would never let her live it down. Let's just say that Lucy and everyone else ended up in their birthday suits; except for the Sages and Aquarius, because there was too much fire that spread throughout the whole area of the court; which took hours to put out with their combined efforts, and it was accompanied by a freezing chill that left them shivering in the cold for a couple of hours. The chill started when the fire was put out and the atmosphere around the court froze all around them. They ended up wrapped in only their blankets, while huddled closely around a fire that Lia made with her Red Dwarf Star Magic. Their combined magical power stopped the spreading chill before it became permanent.

Lucy had a fun, yet very painful time training with all of them, but she knew that it was all worth it. She felt herself getting stronger by the day. When the last day of her 3rd month of training came, Lucy was surprised that the 7 hooded Spirit Sages were still occupied, so this month's result test was also postponed. Lucy was happy to learn that, but she was also disappointed. She wanted to show all of them how much she's improved under their guidance. She kept on wondering what kept the other Sages busy, but the ones who were training her didn't even know what was happening themselves.

Lucy spent the last day of the 3rd month training with all of them. She had a great night's sleep after another grueling training session and after eating a hefty dinner. The Spirit Sages talked to her before she slept about important information that's relevant to her when she gets back to Earthland. She listened intently and asked them a few questions to things she couldn't understand, and after their conversation they all slept in their separate beds. Before she slept, she asked herself in her head while yawning, 'They seemed to be in such a glum mood when they talked to me about going back to Earthland.'

The morning started for her like it always did. Lucy woke up after a long night's sleep but she still felt her muscles aching. She woke up, greeted everyone with a yawn and a, "Good morning.", and ate an amazing breakfast that was made by both Duet and Lia. Her spirits and the Spirit Sages ate with gusto as well, but there was something wrong. She didn't know it yet, but she'll end up finding out a little later after breakfast. She felt an odd and sad atmosphere coming from the Sages. They did greet her back, but they went back to eating their breakfast a few seconds after. She didn't think about the atmosphere too much, because she was still shaking the sleep out of her eyes while devouring her breakfast with swiftness.

She knew that today was the day. The day she'd be able to go back to Earthland and visit Fairy Tail. She only had 2 days of vacation, but she didn't care. She was going to make the most of it. After eating her breakfast much more quickly than her Celestial Spirits and the Spirit Sages, she then walked to her bed, grabbed the change of clothes that Virgo prepared for her, and went into the restroom to get a hot and relaxing shower to wake her up completely.

Lucy closed the door to the comfortable marble restroom and walked across the cold tiled floor feeling a chill run through the nerves of her feet and up her legs. She hung up her change of clothes, turned on the shower to get the water heated up to the temperature that she wants it to be, and quickly undressed. She stepped into the shower and let the warm water soak her tired and aching body. She was beginning to wake up, and then the sudden realization crossed her mind, 'What was wrong with everyone during breakfast?'

She began to lather the vanilla-scented soap in between her hands and rubbed it all over her body. She made sure to reach all of her hard to reach areas which was mainly the different parts of her back and the part of her body that was below her knees. She winced in pain because stretching her arms while trying to reach her back as well as bending down to try to soap her calves and feet were killing her. Another thought crossed her mind while she was soaping herself. 'I hope they're alright. They looked like they were in a bad mood. My Celestial Spirits were feeling alright, but the Sages, my Sages...no...my Friends, looked like something was troubling them.'

After she was done soaping herself, she then grabbed the shampoo bottle, squirted out a generous amount of her strawberry-scented conditioner and shampoo into her hand, closed her eyes, and started applying it to her hair and scalp while lathering it so she could spread it easily all over her long and luscious blond hair. 'I'll have to ask them what's wrong after I'm done taking a shower, and finished getting dressed. I don't like seeing my friends unhappy.'

When she finished with her shower, she quickly dried herself off with a towel and wrapped her body in it. She then quickly dried her hair with another towel and finished up with her hygienic ritual. She finished drying herself off after a few more minutes had passed and then she put on her purple lacy brassiere with matching purple lacy underwear, a red v-neck long-sleeved shirt that covers her brassiere, but shows off the top of her cleavage, a purple v-neck t-shirt with a red Fairy Tail mark on the left chest area of her shirt, white stockings, and black jeans tucked into her brown thigh-high boots, a pair of silver star-shaped earrings on each ear, and her signature brown leather belt with her keyring pouch and whip attached to it. She tied her hair up in a side ponytail to the left with a red ribbon that completed her look.

When she looked into the mirror she thought to herself while smiling, 'Wow, I look great. I've got to thank Virgo for picking this outfit for me. She has really good taste.' She then concentrated on her Mind-Link to connect to Virgo and told her, 'Thank you Virgo for the outfit that you picked for me.'

She heard a voice in her head that she knew belonged to Virgo. Virgo replied, 'You're very welcome Princess. Is it punishment time now?'

Lucy answered her back saying, 'No! Virgo, No! I don't want to punish you. You didn't do anything wrong. Please stop asking that.' She sighed to herself after sending Virgo that message.

She then sighed to herself while thinking out loud and without realizing it she said, "I hope Natsu likes what I'm wearing when I see him." As those words left her mouth, a slight blush appeared on her cheeks. 'What am I saying? What am I thinking? He won't even care about my outfit. He's too simple-minded, but that's one of the things that I love about him. He's straight-forward and blunt, but he never fails to protect me and everyone of his friends whether they belong to Fairy Tail or not.' She sighs again and her blush reddens because of her recent thoughts. 'I just hope he notices that my hair got longer and that I got slightly more taller in my time here.' She inspected her arms and legs thoroughly. 'I guess my arms and legs toned out a bit due to my training.' She then glanced at herself in the mirror and touched the navy blue emblem on her right cheek that's approximately 5 centimeters below her right eye which looks like a sun with blue flames coming from it, and it's surrounded by 3 miniature diamonds that forms a triangle when connected by an invisible line; that points towards her right eye, around it. 'I wonder what everyone in Fairy Tail will think of this emblem? I wonder what they'll think of me? I wonder how I'll smell to Natsu after being in the Celestial Spirit World for so long?' After she asked herself that last question, she then blushed even harder. She shook it off and told herself in the mirror, "Don't be nervous. You're going to see your friends again. You're going back to Fairy Tail. It's already been just a day since you've been gone from Earthland. Calm down." She looked down at her right hand and stared longingly into her pink Fairy Tail guild mark.

She stopped looking at her hand and mentally slapped herself. 'What the heck is wrong with me? I'm so clueless. Lia, Duet, Cross, Isabella, Jayne, and Godrick were glum last night when they mentioned to me what would happen when I return to Earthland through the gate because they'll miss me. Why haven't I realized it sooner. I'm so dumb. I was too busy missing my friends, my family back at Fairy Tail that I didn't consider the feelings of my friends right here. I'm gonna miss them so much too. I'm gonna miss my new friends. What should I do? Should I go back now, I don't know. I don't want to leave them. I do want to see Fairy Tail again, but I don't want to hurt my new friends.' She thought to herself while pacing around in a frantic state. She was trying to calm herself down, but it wasn't working.

After a few minutes spent pacing around she calmed down, she stepped out of the restroom and walked to her bed to pick up her green bag that had her traveling money, and a change of clothes. 'I wonder how my Celestial Spirits and the Spirit Sages are doing.', she thought to herself as she approached; with her green bag on her back, her 6 new friends that were dressed in their robes with their hoods down and her Celestial Spirits who were gathered in the middle of the court. Her new friends/sisters all had their hair in the same style that they were in when she 1st met each of them. She looked at her friends' faces and saw sadness. When she got within 5 feet of them she stopped moving.

Lia, Cross, Isabella, Jayne, and Duet ran to her and embraced her in a big group hug which made her stop in her tracks. She saw liquid trickling down their faces. 'Wait...are they crying?', she asked herself as she hugged them back. She soon found out that they were.

Lia was choking back sobs as tears ran down her light-peach colored cheeks and she said, "L-L-Lucy, we're g-g-going to miss you so m-m-much."

Cross had a steady stream of tears running down her pale cheeks as well. She said through her sobs, "Please, come back to us soon Lucy."

Duet didn't say a word, but instead just kept hugging her tighter and tighter while tears ran down her gorgeously and perfectly tanned face.

Isabella was trying to say something, but her sobbing muffled her words. To Lucy it sounded like she said, "Mrake...srue hatt y-you shray shafe, R-Rushi." Lucy understood what she meant inside her muffled sobs. **("Make sure that you stay safe, Lucy." {Author's Note.})**

Jayne was sobbing like crazy and her jade rimmed glasses looked like there was a river running through it. She said through her cracked voice, "Please, please, please be careful out there. Don't be reckless. Okay? Don't forget to control your emotions. Okay?"

Godrick was a feet from them with a warm smile on his face and a few tears running down his features.

Lucy's Celestial Spirits looked at the heartwarming scene before them with warm and pleasant smiles on their faces. They know how much of a great friend their master is to everyone that she meets. They know how compassionate, loving, caring, and understanding she is. It's no wonder that the Spirit Sages took such a great liking to her. She makes strong bonds of friendship with everyone she encounters. They all had fun with their master and the Spirit Sages this past month. They all became really close. They know that Lucy will be gone for only 2 Earthland days, but here in the courts she'll be gone for 6 months. The time away from Lucy will impact the Sages more because they can't be called into Earthland. They can't be around the person that they came to respect and love.

Lucy was on the verge of tears herself, but she stifled them away and spoke in a gentle yet calming voice towards her friends. "I'm going to miss you all too. I'm going to miss you all very much. I will come back soon. I promise. I will be safe and I'll be careful when I'm back in Earthland. I promise you all that I'll come back safe and sound. You've trained me well, so trust me when I tell you that I will be back. I'll tell you everything that happens. Lastly, I promise that I'll practice controlling my emotions. Okay?"

Lia, Cross, and Isabella said, "Okay.", in unison.

Jayne said, "We'll hold you to your promises."

Duet just hugged her even tighter.

Godrick just nodded his head and smiled even more. He then crossed his arms over his chest while more tears streamed down his face.

Lucy couldn't hold it in any longer, so she cried. She cried with them while hugging all of them. Godrick joined in the embrace as well. Their group was crying into each other. Lucy's Celestial Spirits joined in on the group hug as well while also tearing up and/or crying themselves at the touching display of friendship.

After at least 15 minutes, they all stopped crying and the group hug ended. They all took a few steps back and formed a semi-circle around Lucy. They wiped off most of their tears, and there was only a few soft sniffles heard throughout the group, and most of them were coming from both Lia and Duet.

Lucy was smiling brightly as she said, "Thank you everyone. I'll come back soon." She gives them one of her signature smiles, and puts up her signature sideways thumbs up with her right hand while brandishing her pink Fairy Tail guild mark.

Duet stepped in with a key in her left hand and a hooded cloak connected at the neck lining by a threaded brooch in the shape of a star. She then said with small cracks in her voice as she tried to form a smile, "Here is a Spe-Special Topaz K-Key replica for you to g-give to the man who asked y-you for the request, and here is a S-Sentinel's Cloak. This c-cloak has magic properties that'll be of u-use to you. It turns as white as snow in the day-t-time and b-black as n-night at night. It'll also help you g-gather the power of t-the st-stars in Earthland. It'll also p-protect you t-to a certain d-degree against certain m-magic. And don't worry about get-getting it d-damaged. It s-self st-stitches itself using l-light."

Lucy smiled as she quickly put the replica inside the left front pocket of her jeans. She then took of her bag and placed it on the ground, wore the cloak, and then she wore her bag again on her back.

Lia chided in while sniffling and smiling softly, "Like we told you before, it'll be more difficult for you to harness the power of the stars when you're in Earthland. That's why we're giving that to you to keep. You're not a full-fledged Sentinel yet, but we trust you to hold on to it. It will come in handy."

Cross stepped forward as well with a key attached to a silver necklace on her left hand, and another key on her right and she gave them both to Lucy. She smiled and said, "This is the real Special Topaz Key Of The Spirit Sages. We want you to hold on to it for now, because it'll be your ticket back here when you're done with your vacation. This other key is...my Gate Key. You can call me to help you out anytime. I will always be available. I will protect you with my life. That I promise." She then hugged Lucy really tightly for a few seconds and then let go. She smiled brightly at Lucy and walked back to the semi-circle that the Sages and Lucy's Celestial Spirits formed around Lucy.

The others were staring at her amazed while some were thinking, 'Wow. In all my time here, I've never seen her show her Gate Key to anyone.', 'She never did that before.', 'She's never trusted anyone with her Gate Key before.', 'Damn.', etc.

Lucy kept on smiling as she put the necklace around her neck that held the real Topaz Key and tucked it in her shirt. She's glad that the chain in the necklace was long enough, so that it went right into her shirt. No one would know what type of necklace she had on, unless she pulled it out, and displayed it to the whole world. Lucy then placed Cross's Gate Key into her keyring pouch which held her other Gate Keys. Cross's Gate Key was both silver and bronze, etched with Cross' name on either side of its stem, and the key's design was very intricate. The bit on the Gate Key was a cross.

Godrick spoke out loudly and announced, "The gate has appeared. It's ready to take you back." An enormous azure gate appeared behind her and it was radiating an enormous amount of magic power. It then opened up both its doors really slowly.

"Thank you everyone. Thank you so much. I'll see you all another time.", Lucy said as she waved good bye to everyone while smiling. They waved good bye to her right back and kept on saying, "Good bye.", "We'll see you again soon.", "Be careful.", and many more with tears and smiles on their faces.

Lucy stepped into the gates and it closed very quickly right behind her as soon as she passed right through it.

* * *

~ Lucy's POV ~

(A Few Seconds After She Stepped Out Of The Gates And Came Back To Earthland)

As Lucy stepped out, she felt rain pelting the top of her head and all around her body and she felt the mud and grass underneath her boots. She saw that she was back in the clearing where she 1st saw the azure gates open up. They now closed behind her quickly without making a noise. She scanned her surroundings and looked up into the sky. It was the same forest that's in the northeast of Crocus. It looked like it was a few hours passed noon from the way the sun looked to be past the middle point of the sky. She only saw a small fraction of the sun since the rain clouds covered most of the sky. It was raining heavily, but not enough for her to call it a torrential downpour. She put the hood of her cloak up to keep herself dry from the rain. When she took a step forward she collapsed into the ground with a loud thud.

She felt pain that she has never experienced before. It coursed through her entire body like a virus. It was as if all her nerves were screaming at her. She felt like her blood was trying to claw their way out of her veins, capillaries, and blood vessels. She closed her eyes, squirmed, and writhed on the muddy grass since the pain was so unbearable. She wanted it to stop. She clawed at the ground without mercy. Tears left her eyes and last night's dinner as well as her breakfast left her stomach. She was on her knees with her hands lifting the top portion of her body off the ground, her face was facing towards the mud-stained grass, and she emptied out the contents of her stomach which included the acid while a steady stream of tears left her eyes. Her body was still coursing with pain while her stomach expelled her digested and not completely digested food.

She recalled what the Spirit Sages warned her last night before they slept. _"Lucy we have to tell you __something really urgent.", said Duet with a concerned tone and sadness in her features._

_Lucy not noticing the sadness, but noticed the concerned look instead, asked them with immense curiosity, "What do you gals and guy need to tell me that's so urgent?"_

_"We want to warn you that when you come back to Earthland, things are going to get a lot painful for you for 25 minutes or so.", answered Lia._

_"What do you mean by that? Please explain.", Lucy asked looking worried._

_"We've already told you that your magic power, abilities, and your recovery rate have been cut in half when you came here, am I right?", asked Cross._

_"Yes, you're right. What of it?", Lucy asked._

_"Your body has grown quite accustomed to your halved magic power, abilities, and recovery rate. Your training with us improved those things. Your magic power has increased and so has your abilities and your recovery rate too. Which means that when you get back to Earthland, the other half of your magic power, your abilities, and recovery rate will come back. The problem is that what's coming back to you can't balance out what you've improved in the Celestial Spirit World, so that means that your entire body will go through an excessive eternano absorption for a while in order for you to survive. The eternano will duplicate your halved magic power, abilities, capabilities, and your recovery rate. You've become stronger in the Celestial Spirit World, so the eternano will help your body balance out the half that you improved with a duplicate of another half which will make you complete in Earthland.", said Isabella with a neutral face._

_"Excessive eternano absorption?", Lucy voices out as a question, but it sounds like a statement. "What happens to me while my body does this?"_

_"Pain will course through your body like you've never felt before. Don't fight the pain. Make sure to just let it subside. When the pain disappears, then you'll feel way much better.", said Duet with a half-hearted smile._

_"You'll feel a little bit lighter on your feet, you'll feel stronger, and you'll feel even more powerful. The training that you've done with us has improved you in almost all aspects and it has pushed your body to the limits countless of times. The excessive eternano absorption will help your body survive. The things that you've improved in here with us will double when you go back to Earthland. The pain will be very unbearable, but I know that you'll be capable of surviving it. It'll take a few minutes or so before your body will feel normal again. There will be changes, but they'll be good changes.", said Godrick with a neutral face._

_"That sounds unpleasant, but if you say that I'm capable of surviving, then I will prove you right.", Lucy said as she smiled at them brightly. Shen then yawned and stretched out her arms. "Is that all you gals and guy need to tell me?"_

_"One last thing that we want you to know is __that after your body goes through the excessive eternano absorption, make sure you wait at least 30 minutes or at most an hour before using magic. The only magic that you should be using within that time limit and when it's for emergencies should be Elder Joseph Jo'Erne's gift to you. Use the blessing that you've been given wisely.", said Jayne before yawning._

_"Yeah. And that's it.", answered Lia while covering her head under her pink wool blanket._

_"Okay, then. Thanks for telling me..all of that. Good night everyone. Sweet dreams.", Lucy tells them as she lays down on her bed and starts getting more comfortable under her red wool blanket._

_They all reply in __unison, "Good night everyone."_

In 27 minutes the pain that was coursing through her body subsides, and she stopped vomiting. It was still raining, but it was obviously becoming lighter. Lucy got up really slowly and walked even slowly towards a river that flowed quickly and located 30 feet north or so from the clearing. She wanted to get a drink of water, wash out the terrible taste in her mouth, and wash out the obvious possibility of there being barf on her clothes, and wash her face.

She arrived at the river and looked at herself in its rippling reflection and saw that the only mess that she needed to clean up was around her mouth. There was nothing on her clothes, and her new cloak. She swiftly scooped up handfuls of water clumsily and splashed it against her face over the river every 3 seconds or so to clean herself off. She gargled up the cool water to rinse her mouth. She was happy that the river flowed quickly. This allowed her access to more fresh water which she gladly scooped up with both hands and drank after she was finished rinsing her mouth. The water tasted cool and refreshing as it went down her throat, quenching her thirst and removing the terrible after taste and the slight burning sensation in her esophagus.

She spent at least 5 minutes drinking clean river water and found that she had the strength to stand up. She felt amazing. She felt fully energized and ready for anything. 'Now I know what Duet and Godrick meant when they said that I'll feel better after waiting and recovering from the ordeal that my body went through.' Lucy felt lighter on her feet, she felt faster, stronger, and she felt an increased balance in her magic power. She felt an increase in her magic power and her magic reserves felt larger.

'This is an incredible feeling. I almost forgot the smell of fresh air and the smell of the forests here in Earthland.' She then breathed in the air and washed her hands in the river. She then stood up and started walking towards Crocus. She then noticed that her new cloak as well as her clothes were covered in splotches of mud and soaked in water. 'Well this sucks. If I knew that it was raining, then I never would've worn these clothes.' She sighs to herself. 'Oh well. I hope the rain washes out the mud.'

* * *

~ Lucy's POV ~

(After Walking For 19 Minutes)

The light rain reverted back into a torrential downpour. Lucy walked slowly through the forest making sure that she doesn't slip on any mud and water puddles. She stopped in her tracks as soon as she heard a loud scream through the sound of the rain.

'What was that? It sounded like a cry for help. Where's it coming from?', Lucy closed her eyes and tried to listen for it again.

"HEEEEELLLLLPPPPP!"

'There it is. It came from the right!' Lucy started running in the direction of the sound. She didn't care whether she slipped or not. She had to find out who was screaming. Someone was crying for help out here and she's the only one around to answer the call.

She passed by more trees until she came across a small clearing. She stopped and caught sight of a scene that pissed...Her...OFF! Her anger triggered the blessing that she was given. Blue-Flames started appearing all over her body until she was completely engulfed in it.

There was a group of 2 dozen people in black hooded cloaks. They were standing in a semi-circle around a group of trees. Lucy saw 3 figures tied to the trees. A girl with short purple hair, peach-colored skin, wearing tattered, ripped, and soaked clothes was tied to 1 tree and she looked like she was unconscious. A 2nd girl with shoulder-length black hair, peach-colored skin, also wearing tattered, ripped, and soaked clothes was tied to another tree and a hooded person was trying to silence her cries for help. The last person tied to the tree next to that girl was an unconscious man with black hair, tan skin, and he also wore tattered, ripped, and soaked clothes.

Lucy screamed at them with killer intent in her voice, "Hey! What The FUCK Do You Guys Think You're Doing To These People?! HUH!?" The Blue-Flames around her were flickering with life. The ground and the air around her was emanating a burning heat and a freezing chill. The rain around her either evaporated from the flames or turned to ice due to the chill that she was emanating. The Blue-Flames that surrounded her had very special and magical properties unknown to the hooded assailants.

The black hooded people turned around and noticed her for the 1st time. The man that was trying to stop that conscious black-haired girl from screaming stopped what he was doing and turned around as well. They drew out their weapons without saying a word and pointed it at her.

One of the hooded figures yelled out, "What we're doing is none of your business!"

Another one shouted out, "This is Grim Rogue territory! If you don't turn back now, then you'll die soon, like the rest of these clowns!"

The man that was standing near the black-haired girl lifted a dagger to the girl's throat and shouted out, "Kill this intruder already! There's only 1 of him and there's 23 of you! Kill him!"

'Him!? My hood is still up, so they don't see that I'm a girl. I even screamed at them, but they didn't recognize my voice as a woman's voice. The cloak does hide my clothes underneath, but that bastard calling me a GUY is pissing me off even more! They're all clueless.'

The hooded rogues charged at her with their weapons drawn.

'Do they really think they can take me on with brute force and numbers alone. Huh funny. There's a few Wizards among their ranks. I'll have to thin out their numbers first and weed out the magic users. I've got to strike fast, and I've got to be careful. Who knows how powerful they all are.'

Lucy willed the light that she was emanating to gather to the soles of her boot-covered feet while her Blue-Flames kept on burning and freezing the area around her.

3 hooded rogues leapt at her all at once. They were all brandishing swords that were radiating off a huge amount of dark magic energy and they were holding them on their right hands.

Lucy mumbles a spell under hear breath,

**"Freezing-Fire Gauntlets."**

Lucy's fists and forearms were now encased in ice and blue-flames. It looked like she was wearing gauntlets made of ice while her entire body was engulfed in blue-flames. She hasn't fully mastered the gift of the Cold-Flames of Emotion to its fullest extent. She has recently discovered a few new ways to use it, but she still needs to train in order to master it. Her ice-gauntlets engulfed in blue-flames was impressive and very intricate in its design. The gauntlets fit her hands and reach up to the ends of her forearm and barely touches her elbows. She shaped the ice to look like leather and metal formed together to make it very flexible and durable. There were solid and sharp areas that looked like miniature spikes around the knuckles, backs of the fists, and outer forearms to make it a balanced armor and weapon for offensive and defensive purposes.

She blocks a sword slash with her left forearm while she plants a front kick to one of the attacker's gut, sending his unconscious and blue-flame covered body flying back towards his comrades, and she grabs the last attacker's sword with her right hand and freezes the entire blade completely. She shatters the frozen blade with a simple tightened grip and a flick of her wrist. The rogue was left dumbfounded and this left him open to her next attack. She punches him on the throat with her right fist which results in him getting knocked out and instantly frozen in a block of ice. The 1st attacker tried to get his sword free but couldn't because the ice-gauntlets on Lucy's forearm spread throughout the blade and froze it on the spot. Lucy brought her right fist quickly to the 2nd frozen blade and shattered it as well. In a swift motion, Lucy sends a powerful right roundhouse kick to the rogue's left midsection. The kick engulfs the rogue in blue-flames and sends him flying towards one of the trees. His body hits the tree with a crack while the blue-flames burn him and encases him in a block of ice. The 2nd attacker that she sent flying towards 2 of his comrades earlier was frozen in a block of ice along with his 2 comrades.

'5 down in under 30 seconds. 18 rogues left, but if I include that bastard that's barking orders, then that's 19 left for me to take down.', Lucy thought to herself while smirking. Her blue-flames that surrounded the 5 rogues that she took down, disappear in a display of faint blue orbs of light and leaves the 5 rogues trapped in a block of magic-ice.

The rest of the rogues were now more hesitant. They were shuffling about instead of attacking her. They saw how 5 of their comrades got taken down effortlessly in less than 30 seconds. They were now more cautious and wary towards the threat before them.

One of the rogues shouted out, "I guess we've underestimated you. You only caught us off-guard. You won't be alive for long."

Magic circles of all different colors appear in front of some of the rogues.

'They're the Wizards of the group. They're about to use a combined magic attack on me. I better do something or else I'll get hurt. I have to save those 3.'

Lucy willed all the blue-flames that she was engulfed in to gather in her hands and arms. She clapped her ice-gauntlet covered hands together and thrust them forward in front of her with the backs of her hands facing the enemy and her hands a few inches apart. She widens her shoulder-width stance. A giant bright blue magic circle appears in front of her. She then thrusts her hands forward while twisting them together and bringing them together with her left hand crossed over her right. The palms of her hands now face the enemy. She then shouts out a spell,

**"Ice Castle Wall."**

A 2 story, 5 feet thick wall of ice that looked like a medieval castle's wall jutted out of the ground and formed a semi-circle around her.

The combined magic attack hit Lucy's Ice Castle Wall with such force that the impact made a magical explosion that made a giant crater in front of the rogues. The walls of ice were completely obliterated along with most of the ground in a 15 feet radius around where their spells hit the walls. There was dust and left over magical orbs of energy everywhere. Lucy was nowhere to be seen. The rain kept on pouring. The black-haired girl's eyes looked panicked and shocked. Her hope...was gone in the wind as well as her savior's life. Her last hope for her and her friends to be saved disappeared. Tears slowly appeared in her bruised and puffy red eyes and flowed down her already puffy and swollen cheeks.

A rogue shouted out, "Haha. See that guys. He wasn't that tough. There's no trace of that weakling left."

The other rogues started laughing their heads off. They let their guard down. They were only looking forward at the carnage that their Wizards' combined magical attack hit the wall of ice and supposedly killed off the intruder. They weren't looking up at the gray sky.

Lucy thought to herself as she was floating on the air 5 stories up the ground and sighed, 'I knew that my spell couldn't hold up against all those attacks. They weren't even strong enough to stop a regular punch from Lia. I'm glad that this trick worked, but I can't believe those idiots don't see me up here.'

Lucy was floating in the air because at the last second before the combined spells from Grim Rogue's Wizards hit her Ice Castle Wall, she used the light that she was emanating and gathered it to the soles of her boot-covered feet and combined it with her legs' strength to escape into the air while using the explosion as a cover. She used a different version of Starlight Fire Fade: Flash Step, but she used the same principles from when she was learning that technique and incorporated it to her movements and the power of the Cold-Flames of Emotion that she possesses. Her hands and arms are bare. Her ice-gauntlets shattered after the defensive spell that she casted. Her entire arms and hands are still engulfed in her Blue-Flames. Her hood was now down because of the force of the wind that came from the magical explosion.

'I have to do this quick and end this soon. My energy is getting drained from using the Cold-Flames of Emotion for this long. This new power that I was given may not be using up my magic energy and power, but it does strain my body when I use it. I have to make this last move count or else.', Lucy thought to herself as she got ready to cast another spell. 'There's 19 left, so I'll have to do this quickly.'

Lucy began drawing magic signs and seals with both of her hands. She uses the Blue-Flames to draw an intricate, but very powerful spell that required her to use up the remainder of her Blue-Flames. It took her less than a minute because she was rushing, but she finished it with no problem. 19 small blue magic circles appeared right in front of her. She imagined that she was gripping a bow with her left hand and held her hand in front of her while she motioned her right hand and imagined herself gripping a bowstring. Her left hand was in front of her right. She motioned for her right and pretended to pull back a bowstring. The 19 magic circles started glowing brighter. She then mumbles a spell under her breath,

**"Freezing-Light Arrows."**

A total of 19 white arrows with fletchings made of ice and blue arrowheads tipped with ice shot out of each of the 19 blue magic circles. They shot out of them with the speed of light and hit each of the 19 hooded rogues with perfect accuracy and precision. The hooded rogues were now frozen in a block of ice in split seconds like their 5 other comrades.

Lucy fell to the ground; feet 1st, near the tree that the black-haired girl was tied to with such force that it made a small crater. Lucy pushed aside the block of ice that trapped the hooded rogue the was holding a knife to the black-haired girls throat with ease. Lucy smiled at her with a very exhausted expression and said, "Let's get you and your friends out of here."

Lucy took out the white rag covered in blood from the black-haired girl's mouth. She picked up one of the fallen rogue's daggers and cut the ropes that were tying the black-haired girl and her friends to the trees. She quickly made her way to the man and carried him by placing the man on her back, her hands were gripping his thighs, his chest pressed against her back, and the unconscious man's arms were hanging loosely at his sides.

"Do you have enough strength to carry your other friend over there?", Lucy asked the black haired-girl as she motioned her head to the purple-haired girl that was still unconscious and lying at the foot of the tree that she was tied to earlier.

"Y-Yes. I think, s-so.", replied the girl.

"That's good. Let's get out of here. Crocus is only 20 minutes from where we are. Let's go.", said Lucy.

The girl picked up her friend the same way that Lucy picked up the man. The girl now had her purple-haired friend on her back, her hands were gripping her thighs, her chest pressed against her back, and the unconscious girl's arms were also hanging loosely at her sides.

They started walking towards the direction of Crocus, and away from the part of the forest where the rogues were at. Lucy was walking on the left while the other girl was walking to her right a few feet away.

"T-Thank you so much.", the girl said quietly while tears ran down her eyes.

"Don't worry about it. I'm glad that I arrived in time to help.", Lucy said as she smiled at the girl. "May I ask what's your name?"

"My n-name is Kelsie. Kelsie Valentine.", the girl answered while her voice was cracking and her tears running out.

"It's nice to meet you Kelsie Valentine. My name is Lucy Heartfilia.", said Lucy with a warm smile.

"We'll talk more later. I can tell that you're tired. Let's both focus on carrying these two. When we reach an inn, I'll find us some rooms. I'll take care of the expenses and I'll get us some medicine and first-aid equipment. I'll even get you three new clothes and some fresh and warm food. Does that sound good?", Lucy said with a smile to Kelsie.

"Y-Yes.", Kelsie replied softly, but Lucy heard her loudly and clearly, even through all the sounds of the rainstorm and the moving leaves and branches of the trees in the forest.

* * *

~ Lucy's POV ~

(After Walking For Quite Some Time And Arriving At Crocus And Checking In At An Inn And Getting Their Rooms And Rooms' Keys) (**I know it's a mouthful, haha. And The Line About Checking "In At An Inn", Was Too Hard Not To Include, haha. {Author's Note})**

Lucy and Kelsie walked into their room on the 1st floor that Lucy rented for the night. They arrived at the inn named "The Honey And Silver Inn" at 6:30 pm. It took one of the innkeepers awhile to get the rooms ready for the 4 people before them. They were shocked and a bit scared at the sight. 2 girls were carrying 2 unconscious people behind their backs. The 4 of them looked beaten up, bloodied, and soaked in rain. They were filled with bruises and cuts, except for the blonde-haired girl that payed for the room. She looked tired, and soaked. The innkeeper's initial shock and fear went away when the blonde showed them her guild mark and told them that they got into some trouble during a job and that they now need a room or 2 to rest up in for the night and half the morning tomorrow. She paid them with 25,000 Jewels for the stay at the 2 inter-connected rooms that had 2 queen-sized beds in each room, red carpeted floors, 1 window in each room that looked out into the street, blue drapes, 1 soft brown leather couch in the middle of each room, 1 wooden table in front of the couch in each room, 1 tv on the walls in front of the couch in each room, 1 bathroom to the right with a shower in each room, blue walls, and wooden doors.

The room was beautiful, but what Kelsie and Lucy wanted to see right away was the beds. They gently placed the 2 unconscious people onto each bed in 1 room. Lucy closed the door, and opened up the inter-connecting door that connected the two rooms.

Lucy looked over at Kelsie who was still wearing a blood-stained, tattered, and ripped red t-shirt, brown leather jacket, blue jeans, and brown thigh-high leather boots. "You should take those clothes off and wash yourself up in the bathroom.", Lucy suggested to Kelsie with a warm smile. "I have a change of clothes that could fit you and your friend over there.", Lucy said as she motioned to the unconscious girl with purple hair.

"T-Thank you again Lucy. I know me and my sister would really appreciate that. I'll go ahead and t-take a shower now.", Kelsie replied with a cracked voice.

"You're welcome.", Lucy said right back at her. Lucy then thought to herself, 'I'm glad that she's opening up to me a little bit. I'll let her relax and get her bearings. I don't want to be too nosy or annoying. Hopefully she'll tell me how all 3 of them got mixed up in that situation.' She then looked at her with an even softer and gentler expression and said, "It's okay to cry. It's not a sign of weakness. I'll take care of you 3. I'll be back as soon as possible with the necessary supplies. I'll also bring back some warm food."

Lucy then turned towards the door, walked out, waved bye at Kelsie, and locked the door before putting one of the room's keys in the right front pocket of her jeans. Her clothes were soaking wet and she was exhausted, but she felt that she still had the energy to walk and get the supplies and food that she promised Kelsie. She thought to herself, 'My clothes may be soaking wet, but I'm glad that the blessing that the Elder Star gave me keeps me warm. It's as if my body is a heater or an open flame. I don't even feel cold at all. Wearing these clothes is pretty weird and it feels nasty and clingy, but I'll get used to it. I can't engulf my whole body in my Blue-Flames in order for me to dry off for a long while. If I do, then I'll collapse from exhaustion. I'll just have to cope with this for a little while longer until I get back.' She exited out the doors to the inn and walked towards her 1st destination which was the medical supplies and first-aid store. 'I'm glad the rain is finally dying down to what looks like a light drizzle. Why couldn't it have been like this earlier.', Lucy thought to herself while letting out a sigh.

* * *

~ Kelsie's POV ~

Kelsie waved back a good bye at Lucy as she closed the door to the room. Kelsie was now standing in the room looking at the closed door. Her half-hearted smile that she gave Lucy now turned into a frown. She was very grateful and very happy on the inside that her sister, best friend, and herself was saved. Lucy, the random stranger and powerful Wizard from Fairy Tail whom she met, saved all 3 of them in less than 30 minutes. She was out there buying them food, clothes, medical supplies, and she even left her and her sister some of her own clothes. Kelsie felt happy that they escaped death and/or worse. Kelsie was lost in thought about the situations that could've happened if Lucy hadn't intervened and this caused a few tears to fall down her face. She then stopped her train of thought and heard soft breathing coming from her sister and best friend. She smiled a small smile and thought to herself, 'Lucy Heartfilia, we are truly in your debt. Thank you so much. I'm glad that you saved us. We'll repay you back in any way possible. We owe all our lives to you. I'll explain everything when you get back. But first, I have to do as you said and take a shower. I probably...no I know that I look terrible right now.'

Kelsie walked over to the clothes that Lucy left her and her sister. 'She did say that these clothes would fit both me and my sister. I hope she's right.', thought Kelsie as she picked up 1 of the 2 changes of clothes that Lucy set aside on the brown leather couch.

Kelsie then went into the bathroom, turned on the lights, closed the door behind her, set the change of clothes down on the counter of the clean bathroom sink, and looked at herself in the mirror. She saw the cuts and bruises all over her body, her cut up and soaked clothes, dried blood all over her and her clothes, puffy red cheeks and eyes from crying, and her messed up hair. 'Oh my gosh. I look terrible. Terrible doesn't even come close to the word that would describe me right now.'

She starts undressing and piles up her clothes on the floor of the marbled white tiles of the bathroom. She looked in the mirror at her 17 year-old body, her shoulder-length black hair, her well endowed chest, her curves, her peach colored skin that was covered in cuts and bruises, her sharp features, her frown, and her miserable looking face. 'If I could cry and tear up anymore, then I would.', She thought to herself. She ran out of tears a few minutes ago.

Kelsie walked over to the shower and started running the water. After a few seconds, the water was now at a warm temperature that she could handle. She stepped into the shower and closed the curtains. She felt pain course through her body as the hot water pelted her injured body. She shouts out, "Owwww! Damn this hurts!" The refreshing water washes the dirt, grime, and blood off of her body completely, but she still feels blood coming out of some of her cuts. She grabs the lavender-scented soap, lathers it in her hands, and rubs her soap covered hands slowly over her body. Her body stings all over, but she has to finish getting cleaned up. This way her wounds can be dressed properly and treated properly to avoid infection.

When she's finished soaping herself, she then grabs the shampoo. It smells like guava and the label read that its both a shampoo and a conditioner. She squirts a generous amount on her hands and applies it to her scalp and lathers it. She then spreads it all over her shoulder-length black hair. When the last of the soap and shampoo/conditioner is thoroughly washed away from her body, she then stops the running water and slowly pulls the curtains. She gets out of the shower and dries her body slowly.

'This hurts so damn much. I hope Lucy's back already.', Kelsie thought to herself as she dries her body with a light green towel. 'At least I feel sort of refreshed and clean. I wonder how long I took in the shower. I was awfully slow because of these injuries.'

Kelsie finished drying herself off. She now stands naked in the bathroom while she's brushing her hair. She then hears a light knock on the door.

"Who is it?", Kelsie asks in a small voice while turning towards the door and continuing to brush her hair.

"Hey Kelsie, it's Lucy. I've got the first-aid kit and I also have some warm food prepared. They're in closed containers at the wooden table."

"Hey Lucy. Can you please come in here and dress my wounds?", Kelsie asks with a small voice.

"Sure, of course. Just turn around and I'll take care of you. I'll grab the first-aid kit and I'll be right over.", said Lucy.

* * *

**I'd Hate To Leave It Here, But I Have A Deadline. I'll Upload The Next Chapter As Soon As Possible. Please Leave A Review Or A Comment Or Message Me. It's Very Much Appreciated.**

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	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note: I've Decided To Make This Story Combine From Time To Time With Another Story That I'm Also Trying To Write Up. It's Titled, _"A Fairy Valkyrie Named Cana Alberona.", _So Look Forward To Those Moments In My Future Chapters When Lucy Heartfilia The Celestial Sentinel Teams Up With Her Friend Cana Alberona The Fairy Valkyrie. They'll Also Team Up With Different People From Their Guild And Other Guilds As Well As Some Original Characters. I'm Gonna Change Up My Update Days To Either Be Saturday Or Sunday, And Wednesday.**

**2nd Author's Note: I Do Apologize For The Late Update. This Is A Filler Type Chapter By The Way. **

**Disclaimer: I'll Cut To The Chase And Tell You Straight Away That Fairy Tail Belongs To THE BRILLIANT "HIRO MASHIMA". My Disclaimers From Recent Chapters Were Too Long.**

**Claimer: My Claimers From Recent Chapters Were Also Too Long. I'll Just Say That My Ideas Are Strewn ****And Strategically Placed In This Adventurous FanFic Story.**

**My Shoutouts And Closing Questions Are In The End Of This Chapter.**

**Let The Chapter, START! AND ENJOY!**

* * *

**Chapter Nine: The 1st Night Of Vacation, And The Morning After**

_**~ Begins Inside 1 Of 2 Interconnected Rooms In The 1st Floor Of The Honey And Silver Inn ~**_

* * *

[This Is Continued From Where We Left Off]

~ Kelsie's POV ~

Kelsie finished drying herself off. She now stands naked in the bathroom while she's brushing her hair. She then hears a light knock on the door.

"Who is it?", Kelsie asks in a small voice while turning towards the door and continuing to brush her hair.

"Hey Kelsie, it's Lucy. I've got the first-aid kit and I also have some warm food prepared. They're in closed containers at the wooden table."

"Hey Lucy. Can you please come in here and dress my wounds?", Kelsie asks with a small voice.

"Sure, of course. Just turn around and I'll take care of you. I'll grab the first-aid kit and I'll be right over.", said Lucy.

After a couple of minutes Lucy opens up the door to the bathroom and gasps.

* * *

~ Lucy's POV ~

Lucy opens up the door to the bathroom with the first-aid kit in hand and gasps at the sight of Kelsie with her back turned. She had a slight red tinge in her cheeks, but the initial shock of seeing Kelsie's injuries outweighed her slight embarrassment at seeing Kelsie stark naked.

"Oh my gosh, Kelsie. Those wounds. I'm glad I came back as soon as I did. They need to be taken care of immediately.", Lucy said with obvious concern in her voice and features.

"Yeah. I kind of guessed that. Taking a shower was very painful at first, but I got used to it. I feel refreshed and my wounds are clean, so I guess it was a good call to take a shower.", Kelsie said with a normal sounding voice.

"Yeah, I guess it was a good call. I just didn't expect your wounds to be this bad.", Lucy said.

"It's alright Lucy. I can handle the pain. I just want you to dress my wounds, so I can get dressed up and then help you out with taking care of Annabelle and Jacob.", said Kelsie.

"I can do more than dress your wounds. I bought this first-aid kit thinking that the injuries that you 3 received were minor or medium at best. Now I know I was wrong.", said Lucy with wavering emotions. She then said in a confident voice, "Kelsie, I want you hold still for a couple of minutes. I'm gonna cast a spell that'll heal you up and close your wounds. Your body will still feel pain right after, but I know that you can bare it." Lucy thought to herself, 'I haven't completely mastered this spell yet, but hopefully I can with practice. Kelsie should be fine after this. I can't take away the pain completely, but I can heal her.' Lucy began chanting a spell under her breath while her hands hovered over the small of Kelsie's back, above her waistline.

Kelsie was wondering what Lucy was going to do. She was too focused in her thoughts that she didn't even hear the incantation that Lucy was performing. Kelsie looked perplexed and thought to herself, 'Wait, isn't she a Celestial Spirit Wizard. I saw the Grand Magic Games in person. I know she's powerful and I was rooting for her and her entire Guild to win, but I didn't know Celestial Spirit Wizards could cast healing spells. Then again, she was using a unique type of magic that I've never even seen before. I wonder why she didn't use it during the Grand Magic Games. I should ask...', but before she finished her thoughts she saw a bright green glow cover the room and she felt a warm and pleasant sensation touch the small of her back above her waistline and it spread throughout her entire body. She was now radiating a faint light green aura. She felt numb all over and her wounds felt like they were no longer there. She looked at her cuts and bruises and they were healing instantly.

After a minute, the light vanished and Kelsie felt small amounts of pain in different areas in her body. She checked the areas where her wounds and injuries were, and they were gone. There wasn't a single trace of them left. 'That's some spell.', Kelsie thought to herself. She then heard Lucy panting and trying to catch her breath. She looked back to see Lucy hunched over with her hands on her knees. "Lucy, are you alright?", Kelsie asked with concern and worry.

"Y-Yeah. I'm fine. *panting for breath* That spell *panting* just takes *panting gets softer* a lot out of me.", said Lucy exhaustedly. "Now that your wounds are healed up, you should start getting dressed."

Kelsie starts getting dressed while turning her head around and says, "I'm on it, but are you sure you're alright?"

"Yeah. Don't worry, I'm fine.", said Lucy while smiling half-heartedly. 'I really need to practice this more. Cross was right, as always.', Lucy thought to herself while recalling what Cross told her during one of their training sessions. Cross was scolding her at the time.

_"Lucy, Cura may be the 1st Grand Spell in Celestial Supportive Magic, but that doesn't mean that you should take it lightly. I've told you time and time again that casting this spell could kill the one your trying to use it on if you're not doing it right. And I know that I keep repeating my words to you, but that's because you keep losing focus. I know that you've done it countless of times, but don't lose focus. I want you to remember that even though you cast this incantation properly, there will still be negative feedback on the caster as well as the patient. You'll have to keep on training in order to get used to the negative feedback. If you've trained enough and if you've mastered this spell, then there will no longer be any negative feedback towards you and the one your using it on. Your magic energy reserves which is also known as your magical energy vessel is getting larger, but if you lose focus while casting this spell, then you'll simply be wasting too much of your magic energy casting it once. So focus. If you master this, then you won't even tire even after casting it multiple times. So focus.", Cross said in a very harsh and teacher-like tone as she scolded Lucy._

Lucy turns around and opens the door to the bathroom. "I'll be outside tending to both Annabelle's and Jacob's injuries.", said Lucy as she closed the bathroom door.

Lucy walks over between the 2 beds that had both Annabelle's and Jacob's sleeping bodies laying in it. She stops walking and stands between the two beds and holds out both her hands; with her palms facing down towards them, and hovers it just above their chests. Annabelle was to her left and Jacob was to her right. She closes her eyes and begins her incantation, but she didn't notice Kelsie walking out the bathroom door fully clothed and closing the door silently, so that she doesn't disturb Lucy.

Kelsie wore Lucy's lacy red brassiere and matching lacy red underwear, red tank top, purple shorts that stops just above her knees, white knee socks, brown sandals, and she has her shoulder-length black hair down with her bangs framing her face while covering one of her purple colored eyes. She saw a soft green light envelop Lucy's hands as she began casting her spell. She heard Lucy speak the words to her incantation with a very gentle yet overwhelming voice and she felt a slight increase in magic pressure all around the room. 'How come I didn't feel that earlier?', Kelsie questioned herself in thought. She heard Lucy's words vibrate through the wind.

**"Oh The Stars, **

**The Light In The Sky, **

**The Blessings Of Earthland, **

**Heal Two Of Your Children: **

**Cura."**

Kelsie saw the soft green light that enveloped Lucy's hands, turn into 2 separate green orbs. The orb of green light on Lucy's left hand floated down to Annabelle while the other orb floated down to Jacob. The orbs hit both of them and then they both started radiating a bright green aura. After a few minutes, the auras surrounding both Annabelle and Jacob disappeared.

"That should do it.", said Lucy quietly while catching her breath. She turned around to look at Kelsie behind her. "Hey Kelsie, can you do me a favor?", Lucy asked with a very exhausted expression.

"Yeah sure, anything. We 3 are in your debt after all.", Kelsie answered with a smile and a gentle tone of voice.

"Catch me.", said Lucy weakly before she fainted.

* * *

~ Kelsie's POV ~

As soon as Kelsie heard Lucy say the words, _"Catch me.", _Lucy fainted and Kelsie strode forward as fast as she could and caught her before she fell backwards and hit the floor or the wall. 'That's odd she's radiating heat like a fire lacrima.', thought Kelsie.

"Lucy, hey Lucy are you alright?", Kelsie asked the unconscious girl in her arms frantically with a quiet yet assertive voice so as to not wake up Annabelle and Jacob. She didn't try to shake her awake because that would be rude.

Kelsie sighs and thought to herself while easily carrying Lucy bridal style to the other room, 'Lucy, I may have just met you a few hours ago, but I just know that one of your traits is recklessness.' A warm and gentle smile appears in her face while she looks down at Lucy and says quietly to herself, "But you're a very caring and friendly person too. I can tell. You saved Jacob, Annabelle, and I. 3 complete strangers without even a millisecond of hesitation. You risked your life to save us and now you even went so far as to rent this room, buy us clothes, food, first-aid equipment, and heal all three of us to the point of exhaustion. You're really amazing. Everyone in your guild and everyone of your friends are lucky to have someone like you. And may I say that you're lighter than I expected."

Kelsie gently plopped Lucy onto the bed in the other room and tucked her in. She then thought to herself while looking at Lucy perplexingly, 'Hmmmm...I still wonder how a Celestial Spirit Wizard like you can do what you do, but I'll ask you that question tomorrow morning. I also need to know about this weird yet very pleasant warmth that you're radiating. That's probably how you stayed warm in the rain and why your clothes feel like you've walked in the middle of a warm day even though it's raining outside. I have so many questions, but I'll have to be patient.'

Kelsie started to walk to the other room while delving deep into her thoughts, 'I wonder if she'd be friends with me.' She then sighs deeply and a frown appears in her visage, 'Nah...that's a fool's hope. No one that strong would be friends with a weakling like me. I couldn't even save Anna, and Jacob.'

Kelsie walks over to Annabelle's bedside and strokes her cheek lovingly. 'I hope your alright Anna. I'm sorry that I'm too weak.' Tears appear in her eyes once again. 'I'm supposed to be an Angel's Guardian, but I'm weak. My magic is too weak. I can't even manipulate light correctly. Gosh I suck.' She falls on the floor by Annabelle's bedside and lets her tears flow while stiffing her sobs quietly. 'I'm sorry that I couldn't protect you and Jacob.'

After a few minutes of crying she wipes her tears away while soft sobs escape her. She quickly looks around while wiping her tears and notices 3 separate gift bags under the wooden table. The food that Lucy bought is on the table and in separate closed containers. There are plastic plates and utensils set up and there's even a fire lacrima to heat up the food if it gets cold. She quickly thought to herself while smiling, 'That Lucy thought of everything.' She then stifles her sobs and wipes the remainder of her tears away. 'I should leave these two a message before I go to bed. They'd appreciate it.'

She walks over to the foot of Annabelle's bed and raises her right hand while casting a spell. She quietly chants,

**"Light Message:**

**Letter; 12 Hour Expiration."**

A small orb of light appears in her index finger and she starts writing a message to Annabelle at the top of the foot of her bed using the small amount of light that she's gathered. The floating message written in yellow light with a timer that counted down the 12 hour expiration read,

_Dear Anna,  
I'm in the other room sleeping. The blond-haired woman in the other bed is the person that saved all three of us. Her name is Lucy. She healed us, rented these 2 rooms, bought us clothes which are under the wooden table and in separate gift bags, and she even healed us, but she ended up fainting afterwards. Don't disturb her. She more than deserves a great night's sleep. Please rest up, and take a shower, and don't forget to eat breakfast. She lent us some of her clothes as well. The clothes that are on the couch are yours to wear after taking a relaxing shower. We're going to thank Lucy tomorrow._

_\- With Love From Your Elder Sister, Kelsie_

_P.S. I'm sorry that I wasn't strong enough to protect you._

She then walks over to Jacob's bed and writes a message for him at the same area on the foot of his bed. The light message to him that's floating in the air read,

_Hey Jacob,_  
_Thanks for protecting the both of us with all your strength. I know that you did your best, so thank you. We both owe you so much. Just in case you're wondering, I'm in the other room sleeping. The woman __with blond hair in the bed next to me is the same one that saved all three of us. Her name is Lucy. Be thankful and let her rest. I know that your a gentleman, but I'm still warning you. DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT DOING ANYTHING LEWD TOWARDS MY SISTER, LUCY, AND I WHILE WE'RE SLEEPING OR ELSE... Now then, where was I, Oh right. Lucy healed all 3 of us to exhaustion, rented this room for us, bought us food, and clothes. You'll find them in the middle of the room. Take a shower, because you stink and you need it. Rest up and relax. We're going to thank Lucy tomorrow._

_\- With L...I meant Sincerely, Kelsie_

The orb of light on her index finger disappears.

As she finished writing the message to Jacob she thought to herself with a frantic look while her heart sped up, 'Damn it, I almost wrote, "With Love". Now I can't rewrite it. I suck at writing messages and I can't even undo them or rewrite them. And I almost confessed to him without thinking and...with a letter...Gosh, I can't be falling for him...could I?' She shakes her head to remove those thoughts. 'No, no, no don't think about it. He's your best friend, don't, just don't.' She looks over at him and his chiseled features. 'He looks so handsome though, and cute, and...stop it Kelsie, get a grip. You need to go to sleep before you do anything foolish.' She quickly turns around, but turns her head to catch another glimpse at Jacob.

She walks over to the other room and plops herself gently on the empty bed next to Lucy. She yawns while thinking to herself, 'I should write a message to Lucy too, but I'm too...' She couldn't finish her thoughts. She fell into a deep and comfortable sleep. She was too tired.

* * *

~ Lucy's POV ~

(10 Hours Of Sleep Later)

There were murmurs and hushed sounds of voices in the darkness. Lucy heard voices around her. There was a voice that she recognized, but the other two were new. She still had her eyes closed because she was still tired, but now she can't go back to sleep. Lucy asked herself, 'How long was I out?...the last thing I remembered was casting Cura...and blacking out after I told Kelsie...oh...that's right...I told her to catch me before I fainted.' The murmurs and voices rose in volume.

"...Anna be quiet, she's still sleeping. Let her rest.", said a gruff and deep voice that Lucy didn't recognize.

"But, but I want to look at her more. She's so gorgeous and I like her golden hair.", said a softer voice the Lucy didn't recognize.

"I can't believe this. I was gone for only a couple of minutes to get some fresh air and when I come back I find you two here creeping on Lucy.", said a familiar voice that Lucy recognizes.

Lucy heard footsteps approaching. She thought to herself, 'Hmmm...maybe I should surprise them. This would be fun.' A smile crossed her lips.

The familiar voice said, "Now you two should walk away quietly or else you'll disturb her sleep."

Lucy chose this exact moment to raise the top of her body and stretch out her hands into the air while smiling and saying this statement loudly, "They didn't bother me too much." She heard a yelp, a few staggering steps back, and someone chuckling while rolling on the floor. She didn't see who they were because her eyes were still closed.

She opened her sleepy eyes to see Kelsie on the floor laughing her head off, Annabelle on Jacob's arms and clutching him tightly, and Jacob looking surprised while still taking a few staggering steps back. Lucy suspects that what she did scared Anna and made her jump into Jacob's arms. Anna's momentum must be the reason why Jacob was staggering back. She didn't know why Kelsie was laughing and rolling on the floor though.

Lucy saw that Annabelle was wearing her clothes and it looked perfect on her. She had on a yellow t-shirt that hugged her body perfectly and comfortably, and over it was a white leather jacket that made her short and choppy purple hair more noticeable. She wore black capris that formed to her hips perfectly and made her calves look amazing, black and purple socks, and green and white sneakers. Lucy saw that Annabelle had purple eyes just like her big sister. Annabelle looked maybe 4 or 3 years younger than Kelsie and a few inches shorter. Annabelle had the same peach colored skin like her sister's, but with a lighter pigment.

Lucy saw Jacob sporting a new purple t-shirt with a picture of a red wolf with silver eyes in the middle, blue jeans, a brown leather belt, and black combat boots. Jacob had a very lean yet muscular physique, he was a few inches taller than Kelsie, he also had a pair of very mysterious green colored eyes, spiky black hair that made his irises look more green, and tan skin.

Lucy thought to herself, 'At least the clothes I bought Jacob fit him. I just guessed his size. I'm glad I guessed right. But Anna, oh my gosh, she looks so cute in my clothes. She makes them look better than I ever did and I don't hate myself for admitting that.'

Lucy rubbed the sleep off of her eyes and said while smiling gently, "I'm sorry about that. I just wanted to see your reactions." She rubbed the back of her head and then said, "I'm sorry."

The young girl named Anna said, "No, it's alright. We're the ones that should be sorry for disturbing you." She then looked down at her chuckling sister and said, "Big Sis, you shouldn't be laughing at me. You're mean."

Kelsie was holding onto her sides and standing up while calming herself down. "I'm sorry Anna, but that was just too funny. Your reaction was priceless."

"Hmph.", said Anna with a pout while crossing her arms and avoiding her older sister's gaze.

"Now girls, you two should try to get along and make up. And we're sorry about waking you Lucy. We were just curious.", said Jacob apologetically with a smile.

Lucy raised her hands in front of her in defense, "No, please no, don't worry about it. I'm glad you woke me up. I feel refreshed and I do have somewhere to be later, so..." At that moment, Lucy's stomach started making noises. She stopped talking and looked down towards her blanket covered lap in embarrassment while a red tinge appeared on her cheeks.

Kelsie spoke up while chuckling lightly, "It looks like you're hungry. You woke up in just the right time too. I started heating up the food a few minutes ago. They're split up between all of us equally. It should be cool enough now. We can go to the other room and start eating breakfast whenever you're ready." She then put one of her hands on Anna's right shoulder and said with a gentle tone, "I'm sorry for laughing at you Anna. I'll make it up to you by buying you some fudge brownies. That does sound alright?"

"Yes it does. Thank you Big Sis.", said Anna with genuine happiness after she jumped down from Jacob's arms and gave Kelsie a hug.

"We should go to the other room and eat now. I'm also getting hungry.", said Jacob with a smile. A resounding grumble came from his stomach and he turned around quickly to avoid the stares from the girls in the room. He didn't want them to see his embarrassed face and the red tinge in his cheeks. He started walking to the other room with haste.

"Is he alright?", asked Lucy while looking worried.

"Yeah, he's alright. He may look like a tough guy on the outside, but he's very sweet on the inside and he gets embarrassed too easily.", said Kelsie with a dreamy smile while looking towards the doorway that Jacob walked through.

Anna stopped hugging Kelsie but still held her in her arms. She looked up at her face and made sure that only Lucy and her big sister would hear her before she said teasingly, "You _loooooovvvvvveeeeee_ him."

Kelsie's entire face turned a bright red color and steam looked as if it was coming out of her ears. "W-W-What are y-y-you saying? I-I-I...d-d-don't..." Kelsie stopped what she was saying and just stood there while swaying around like a lovesick schoolgirl. She was looking at the ground intently while a dreamy smile was plastered on her face. Her hands were cupping her reddened cheeks.

Anna stood there and started chuckling lightly at her big sister.

Lucy got out of bed and walked over to where Anna was and looked at Kelsie with a bright smile on her face before she said, "Awwww, Isn't she just adorable?"

"Yeah, she is. My Big Sis gets like this a lot whenever I mention her feelings towards Big Bro Jacob. It's a wonder that Big Bro Jacob hasn't noticed yet. He's kinda dense, but he's a good guy. I can't wait to set them both up. Then I'll have Jacob as a real Big Brother.", said Anna with a bright smile.

'This girl reminds me of Mirajane in more ways than one.', thought Lucy while a bead of sweat appeared on the back of her head. "Hey Anna, let's drag your sister to the other room. We need to eat breakfast anyway and I bet that you and I both want to see if she'll revert back to normal when she gets near Jacob.", said Lucy with a scheming bright smile. 'I'm curious to see what happens. Now I know why Mira tries her best to match couples together. Jacob and Kelsie look like such a cute couple and I'll be more than happy to help Anna set them up together.'

"That's an excellent idea.", said Anna with a wide and brightly scheming smile. "I like the way you think Big Sis Lucy. Is it alright if I call you that?", said Anna with a warm smile.

"I'd be honored and overjoyed to have you as a little sister and as a friend.", said Lucy with a warm smile.

"Yay!", shouted Anna as she wrapped her arms around Lucy for a hug.

Lucy hugged her right back while smiling and thought to herself, 'She's cute and friendly just like Wendy, but way too playful just like Mira. I don't mind though. I'm already used to Mira's matchmaking ways to a certain degree.' She then said, "Now let's go and eat."

They broke the hug, held Kelsie's arms and had her in between them, and then they dragged the still dreamy eyed Kelsie to the other room to join Jacob for breakfast.

* * *

~ Lucy's POV ~

(After Eating Breakfast)

When they walked into the other room while dragging Kelsie in between them, they saw Jacob sitting on the floor opposite the couch and stared at them. He was waiting for them the whole time.

'What a gentleman.', thought Kelsie with a smile as the red in her face disappeared, but left a tinge in her cheeks.

This brought her back to normal, much to Lucy and Anna's dismay. They were expecting a confession or something dramatic, but they weren't too upset. They were more hungry than upset. Kelsie sat next to Jacob on the floor while Anna and Lucy sat on the couch. They started eating the heated noodles with teriyaki chicken and quenched their thirst with cold bottles of water. They finished eating within half an hour and relaxed while holding their stomachs because they were stuffed. They were too busy eating breakfast that they didn't talk to each other. They just simply stuffed their faces until they were satisfied.

The 1st to speak was Anna. "So Big Sis Lucy. We read a message from Big Sis when we woke up and it was about what you did for us last night." She was looking at Lucy very intensely with a bright smile and a twinkle in her eyes. "We want to thank you and we want to know how we'll be able to repay you for what you've done for us." She now held Lucy's hand with her own. "You're awesome Big Sis Lucy. Thank you so much."

"Yeah. We feel terrible for getting you dragged into the trouble that we got in, but we're very thankful that you came and saved us.", said Jacob with a relaxing smile.

"I told these two everything that happened. How you fought off those Grim Rogue bastards, how you healed us, how you carried Jacob, and everything.", Kelsie said with a bright smile.

Lucy smiled at them and said, "I did what any Wizard would do. I helped out those in need. I'm glad that I got there in time when I did. Those assholes deserved what was coming to them." Lucy then mentally slapped herself, 'Oh crap, I cursed in front of Anna.' Lucy was saying, "I'm sorry about the curse. I..."

Kelsie interrupted her while holding her hand up before she finished, "It's alright. Anna has heard far worse curses by accident."

"That's good to know I guess. Oh yeah, I've been meaning to ask. How did you three end up in that situation anyway?", asked Lucy with curiosity.

Jacob crossed his arms over his chest and said, "We ended up being tied up like that because we ran into those people. I don't know whether they were a Dark Guild or not but we heard them say that they belonged to the Grim Rogue Guild. They were trying to rob us."

Kelsie continued after Jacob. "I wanted to explain everything to you last night, but you looked tired and after healing us, you fainted.", said Kelsie with a frown. "We were being robbed by those guys. They asked for any of our Jewels and belongings. We didn't have anything with us besides a couple dozen Jewels, spare clothes, some food, and story books. We left our hometown. You see, we three lived in the mountain village of Angelia De Mique, but we decided to leave and become Guild Wizards. We only had those things because we just started our journey yesterday morning. We were heading to Crocus and hopefully to Magnolia. The walk through the forest was peaceful and the rain wasn't too bad until..."

Anna continued from where Kelsie left off with a frown on her face. "...until we ran into them. We didn't want to give up what little we had so we tried fighting back. My Big Sis and I are still new to magic, so we couldn't be of much help. We tried to learn our family's magic that was passed down to us, but the rest of our family didn't want to teach us. We learned what we could from the spell books from our town's library as well as the family spell books that we took quick peaks at during the night. We learned only a little bit about our family's magic."

Kelsie had tears in her eyes now. "We don't know why our family didn't want us to learn their magic, but we didn't give up on trying to learn for ourselves. We were practicing one night in a forest clearing, but we were found out. Someone saw us practicing magic and ran back to inform the rest of our village. We got into a whole mess of trouble. Before our family and our entire village found us, Jacob intervened. He helped us escape. He grabbed what little we all had and ran with us out of the village. We escaped our village and decided to leave for good."

Jacob was beside Kelsie now and he had his arms wrapped around her in a comforting hug. "I didn't have a choice but to help these two. They're more of a family to me than my own. If they were captured, then their punishment for practicing magic that they weren't allowed to use would've been dire. The last person that was caught...", Jacob stopped talking and looked down with tears in his eyes.

Lucy suspected this to be a very touchy subject for all of them. "It's alright if you three don't want to continue. I'll understand."

Anna grabbed Lucy's hands softly and got her attention. Lucy looked into Anna's tear-stained eyes. "I-It's alright, B-Big Sis Lucy. I can continue for the both of them." Anna took a deep breath and continued. "The last person that was caught using magic that they weren't allowed to use was...had something taken away from them. Her name was Jillian Heliotre. She was Jacob's big sister. They took her eyesight and her ability to speak. They c-cut out her tongue and g-gouged out her eyes. She died soon after."

This left Lucy speechless. 'What the heck is wrong with their village?! They don't allow people to use magic, the very being and breath of a Wizard's essence and soul, unless they were allowed. That's BULLSHIT! And if they were caught using it without permission then they get punished?! What in Mavis's name is wrong with them?' She was hugging a shaking Anna as she continued the story.

"We knew the consequences of practicing magic without the village's permission. We couldn't help it. We were drawn to it. My Big Sis and I felt more freedom than we ever had when we practiced it. We felt more alive than we ever had. We're glad that all three of us ran away. We wanted to leave our past behind. We would've been successful and reached Crocus and then Magnolia, but that's when those Grim Rogue Wizards showed up. We tried fighting them back. Big Bro Jacob did his best to keep them back while protecting us, but he was outnumbered. Big Sis and I couldn't be of much help because we've only practiced magic for only 6 months and we're no good at it. They hit us, hurt us, knocked out Jacob, and they were about to torture us. I fainted from the injuries. Big Sis was the only one left awake.", said Anna while shaking and her tears flowed even more while she clutched onto Lucy.

Lucy was patting Anna's back while hugging her soothingly. Tears were flowing down Lucy's cheeks too.

Kelsie was sobbing now while holding onto Jacob who had his arms around her frame. She continued the story while Jacob held her in his arms. "T-T-That's when I s-s-shouted out f-f-for help. I screamed as l-l-loud and as h-h-hard as I could. I only g-g-got to shout out t-t-two times before one of t-t-them gagged me w-w-with a cloth and struck me in t-t-the gut. It was h-h-hopeless and I d-d-didn't know how f-f-far my screams traveled t-t-through the sounds of the st-st-storm. I was so o-o-overjoyed that y-y-you showed up L-Lu-Lucy. We are all v-v-very overjoyed and b-b-beyond happy that y-y-you saved us."

Lucy motioned for Kelsie to come over to the couch and she did. All three girls were now entwined in a bone crushing group hug.

"I'm glad that I met you three. I'm happy that I was there in time.", Lucy chided in with a bright smile. "We'll talk more about this later on. I can tell that you three used up a lot of your energy telling me your story. I'll give you 45 minutes tops to calm down and get yourselves ready. We're heading to Magnolia."

Anna broke away from the hug and so did Kelsie while Jacob stayed sitting on the floor and put one leg over the other. They all looked confused.

"Didn't you tell me that you were heading to Magnolia after you reached Crocus?", asked Lucy with a big smile.

"Y-Yes.", answered Kelsie.

"Do you three want to join Fairy Tail?", asked Lucy with a smile that keeps getting wider.

"OF COURSE!", all three of them said in unison.

"Good. I was heading there myself. I'll tell you the details later on the train. I'll also pay for your tickets just in case you're all wondering. We'll leave in an hour. So pack up and get ready to go. We can talk more on the train. We have to make a stop by an antique shop, because I finished a job for the owner, and then off to Magnolia we go.", said Lucy.

Anna and Kelsie looked like they were about to tear up even more. They lunged at Lucy and gave her an even tighter bone crushing hug while Jacob just smiled wide because he was obviously speechless.

Lucy thought to herself while enjoying the hug and breathing lung fills of air so she doesn't pass out, 'These three need a home and what better home than Fairy Tail. From the sound of their destination and their desire to become Guild Wizards, I knew right away that they were headed to Fairy Tail. I'm glad I met these three. They seem like a great bunch. I wonder what type of magic they have and what reason would their village and families have for not letting them learn. I'll ask them when they're ready and calm enough to answer me. I don't want to ruin this moment. *gasp* Crap I need to breathe more. These two are strong. *gasps and pants for air* Don't pass out, don't pass out.'

* * *

**That Concludes This Filler Type Chapter. I Hoped You Liked it. What Did You Think Of Kelsie, Annabelle, and Jacob's Tragic Past? A Further Explanation Will Be Included In Future Chapters. Their Magic Will Also Be Added In Of Course.**

**I Would've Finished Sooner But There Were Some Things That Got In The Way. Just For Making You All Wait I'll Post 2 Chapters Before Saturday.**

**I Welcome My New Followers And Readers, xXx Tigerblade xXx, and K.C.96. Thank You For Reading And Following My Story.**

**A Shoutout To My Followers, Reviewers, Readers, And Favoriters.**

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	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Note: I Sincerely Apologize For Not Keeping My Word About Releasing 2 Chapters Before Saturday. This Chapter Was In The Making For 2 Weeks And I Also Spent A Great Deal Of Time Editing, Grammar Checking, And Spell Checking, And Such. I Also Re-Read The Last Chapters. It Helped Me Set Things Up For Future Chapters. I Have No Excuse For My Lateness. All I Ask Is For Your Patience And Understanding.**

**2nd Author's Note: Everything From My Questions To The Disclaimer, To Claimers, To Shoutouts Is Down Below After This Chapter.**

**Enjoy This Chapter.**

* * *

**Chapter Ten: Fairy Tail Here We Come**

**~ _Begins __In The Train From Crocus To Magnolia ~_**

* * *

~ Lucy's POV ~

Lucy, Kelsie, Jacob, and Anna were on board the train headed for Magnolia. Lucy was still dressed in the clothes she wore when she came back to Earthland while Anna and Kelsie were wearing her outfits that she lent them. The dirt and mud got rinsed off thanks to the rain from last night, but there were still signs of mud. Lucy was dry when she came back to the inn last night because of her Blue-Flames. She didn't activate it herself, but she knows that she radiates off a comfortable warmth and she guessed that that's how her clothes got dry really quickly when the rain died down. Jacob wore his new clothes that she brought for him.

The train hasn't moved an inch from the station because there were more passengers still boarding the train. The four of them were seated in a comfortable booth on a corner in the back of a train car. The train car that they were on was the 2nd to last from the rear of the train, and it was relatively empty except for a couple of people here and there. Lucy sat with the window to her right and Kelsie to her left. Lucy sat across from Anna while Jacob was to her right and facing towards Kelsie. The booth could seat a total of 6 people with 3 on each side and the seats are facing each other. There were wooden walls which stretched to the ceiling of the train car that separated each booth from the others. The only access to the booth was the door next to Kelsie and Jacob and the tightly sealed window next to Anna and Lucy. The window could be used as an exit if and when the situation demands it. The light lacrima on the ceiling of the booth offered substantial light that left no shadow to linger, the only exception being the underside of their seats where their bags and belongings were neatly tucked away. Lucy made sure that one of her bags filled with snacks was tightly sealed and out of harms way from the rest of their heavy bags. She didn't want the food squashed before they had a chance to eat it. She didn't tell them about her quick stop at the bakeries and snack shops. She wanted it to be a surprise.

They had ample leg space to move around if they needed to. They all settled comfortably in their seats, relaxing and talking amongst themselves while waiting for the train to take them to Magnolia. Lucy looked to the window and marveled at the hustle and bustle of everyday life in the Crocus Train Station. It was added in after the city's repairs, because they needed an easier way to transfer materials and personnel to help rebuild the city after the incident with the 7 Dragons. The city looked as good as new, as if nothing had happened. Everything went back to normal,...well as normal as things could get in a large and magical city like Crocus. The train passengers boarding, families saying good bye to one of their own as he or she boarded the train, young and old couples hugging each other tightly in a lasting embrace until they see each other again.

'I miss Natsu. Why can't that couple be us?', she thought and asked herself dreamily as she looked at the exchange of goodbyes between two young lovers that she guessed were in their early 20s. Lucy didn't want to ruin her solid friendship with Natsu, but what can she do. Her feelings towards the Fire Dragon Slayer was growing with each passing day. Her best friend keeps invading her thoughts more and more. Her dreams were no exception.

Her train of thought and wandering gaze was interrupted by a hand that kept on waving frantically in front of her.

"Huh? What is it?", Lucy asked as she turned her attention towards a cutely pouting Anna. "Hey, why are you pouting so adorably?", Lucy asked as she cupped Anna's cheeks in both her hands while smiling brightly.

"It's because you weren't listening to me. I was asking you questions.", Anna said while waving her arms over her head in a frenzied manner. "And wait...did you call me adorable?", Anna asked as she stopped waving her arms. They now hung by her sides while she looked at Lucy's bright smile.

"Yes, I called you adorable because you are.", said Lucy while her smile kept on getting brighter. "I'll make sure to answer any question you have. If...?"

"If...what?", Anna asked while looking confused.

Lucy stopped cupping Anna's face and sat up on her seat. Anna sat and straightened up on her seat as well while tilting her head in confusion. "If...you answer my questions as well.", answered Lucy.

"An answer for an answer, sure.", said Anna while smiling.

Kelsi and Jacob were sitting comfortably in the booth while watching and listening to Lucy and Anna's conversation with amusement and joy. It's been awhile since they've seen Anna smile so brightly and talk so loudly.

"I'll let you ask the 1st question, and then we can take turns from there.", said Lucy. "You can ask me any question and I'll answer it as honestly as I can."

Anna put a finger to her chin and kept on tapping it while looking up at the ceiling of the train car.

'She must be deciding or thinking really deeply about what to ask me.', Lucy thought to herself while looking at Anna.

"Yay!", Anna squealed in excitement and stared back at Lucy with a wide smile. "I've got my 1st question. Okay. Do you have any pets?", she asked with so much enthusiasm that Lucy thought it was cute and funny.

"I'm sorry to say, but I have no pets. I've always wanted one though, but I don't have any.", answered Lucy.

"Awwww...that's too bad.", said Anna while pouting.

"I do have someone better. I don't consider him as a pet. He's a good friend of mine and he'll be very happy to meet you." Lucy touched one of her silver keys that she had in mind and knew right away that this key that she had her index finger on was Plue's key. 'Hey Plue, I want you to meet some new friends of mine.' Lucy sent a thought message to one of her spirits before she called on him through their contract and connection. Lucy felt a slight surge of magical energy through Plue's key. She knew that Plue agreed to meet her new friends and wanted to be by her side.

The train conductor mumbled a few words in the speakers and the train started to move. They didn't hear the muffled words of the conductor because they were all focused on Lucy. Lucy was focused on sending the thought message to Plue through her Mind-Link with him. They felt the train moving, but they payed more attention to Lucy's actions. They were wondering what Lucy intends to do. They caught the slight movement of Lucy touching her keys, but were questioning as to why she had done it. Anna looked at her with curiosity while Jacob and Kelsie were both wary and curious.

Lucy smiled as she crossed one leg over the other and placed her hands on her knees. She then said,

**"Open: Gate of Canis Minor,**

**Nikora."**

Plue appeared in a puff of white smoke on her lap and looked up towards Lucy.

Lucy looked down and said, "Hey Plue. I want you to meet my new friends." She then started to point them out as she introduced them, "That's Kelsie, Jacob, and Anna. Guys, this is Plue." She looked up and saw Anna's wide smile and twinkling eyes. She turned and saw Kelsie with a warm smile plastered on her face. Jacob's mouth hung open in surprise and shock.

"He's ssssssoooooo cute!", squealed Anna while jumping up and down on her seat. "Can I hold him?, Pleaaaaaasssssseeeeee." Anna was holding her hands to her heart in a pleading motion.

"Of course you can.", answered Lucy. She then looked down at Plue and asked him, "Is that alright with you Plue?"

"Pun punnnn pu pun puunnn.", Plue answered while waddling.

"Okay.", said Lucy with a smile as she gently lifted Plue from her lap and sat him on Anna's lap.

Anna began petting him and holding him with a soft and loving embrace. "He's so adorable. I heard you call him Plue, is that his name?"

"Yes, that's his name.", Lucy replied while looking at the scene before her. 'Plue looks like he's enjoying himself and loving the attention.', thought Lucy.

"H-Hey Lucy, did I just see you summon one of your spirits without holding his key?", asked Jacob with a slightly shocked but more surprised face.

"Yeah. You did. What of it?", asked Lucy while her attention was still on Anna and Plue.

"It's just that, I've only read in books about Celestial Spirit Wizards that have the ability to call forth one or more of their spirits without the use of their keys. I never thought of ever seeing it happen.", answered Jacob.

"It takes a lot of practice and strenuous training to achieve and obtain this ability.", added Lucy cryptically while trying to be modest.

"Hey Big Bro Jacob, I'm the one that's supposed to ask Lucy the questions.", said Anna while pouting for a few seconds and then returning a smile to her face as she held onto Plue.

"Annabelle, would it be alright with you if I ask Lucy some questions of my own?", asked Kelsie. Lucy glanced at her knowingly and concluded that she's been thinking up and listing down any and all questions that she has for her mentally.

Anna replied with a smile and a resounding, "Sure. I'll just listen in while playing with cute little Plue here."

Lucy turned her body so that she was now facing Kelsie and Jacob's direction while the corner of her right eye could still see Anna and Plue. Lucy still had a friendly smile on her face, but she changed her leg position. Her right leg now hung loosely against the seat while her left straightened and stretched out towards Kelsie. They had enough space between them that her feet weren't touching Kelsie and besides, she wanted to relax. They were still a long way aways from Magnolia. "So, what do you want to ask me?"

"1st, I wanted to know what type of job request did you do for that man. He gave you such a huge sum of money for completing it. I was wondering what kind of job it was?", Kelsie asked with a friendly smile yet curiosity and interest radiated out of her in waves.

"The request he asked me to do was to find a key that was stolen by some creatures. It was a very antique key that was headed to his store along with some other ancient and valuable items. That key was taken from a caravan with regular guards and Wizards escorting it. It was the only thing taken, and my job was to retrieve it."

"No wonder he gave you a lot. It was an antique.", Kelsie lightly chuckled to herself. "Such sentiments from the past never seem to allude the present-day world."

'I wonder what she means by that.', Lucy thought to herself quizzically. 'Maybe she just likes antiques or something, I don't know.'

"My 2nd question is, what type of magic besides Celestial Spirit Magic do you use? We've all seen you in action during the Grand Magic Games. We know your a Celestial Spirit Wizard, but when I witnessed the battle that you fought against those Grim Rogue Wizards. You used all sorts of Magic. What kind of Wizard are you? And why didn't you use your full arsenal of Magic during the Games?", Kelsie asked with seriousness and curiousness mingling in her features and tone.

'I knew one of them would eventually ask me that. Damn.', Lucy sighed and slumped forward a little bit and then straightened herself back up on her seat feeling the cold wooden walls of the train car on her back. She's radiating off heat, but the she still feels the coldness of the wall seeping through her clothes and cloak as if for the 1st time. The excitement of going back to Fairy Tail numbed her to the cold until now. She was too excited to go back and didn't register the feeling of the not-so-bothersome chill on her back. The question left her to think for a few minutes. This wasn't left unnoticed by the others. They now looked at her very curiously. Kelsie's prying changed the mood in the booth entirely. Plue was watching his master and friend quietly, waiting for her to say something. Would Lucy divulge such sensitive information? That's probably what her spirits are thinking. Lucy recalls the conversation that she had with Isabella about moments like these.

_"Now Lucy, what I'm about to tell you is of very grave importance.", said Isabella. "The existence of The Spirit Sages, The Sentinels, and the physical gates that connect this world to Earthland are very close and guarded secrets. In Earthland, the only ones who know of our existence and secret are the Magic Council, the Ten Wizard Saints, the Guild Masters of the Light Guilds, and the Sentinels themselves. In here, in the Celestial Spirit World, you will be known as a Sentinel, but in Earthland, the title that you'll bare is __both meaningful and dangerous. You'll be known as a Celestial Sentinel. A title that means and commands power and respect in both worlds. The title that you'll bare is a testament to your strength and power, but it comes with a price. What title doesn't come with a price?", Isabella asked rhetorically._

_"And what price would that be?", asked Lucy while wondering where this conversation will go._

_"The price is complete silence and secrecy. The only ones that you should divulge who you really are to is your Guild Master, any of the Ten Wizard Saints if they ask of it, and the Magic Council if they need you to, as well as your fellow Sentinels if you happen to cross one or more of them. You must tell necessary information to those you deem fit to handle it and to those who you deem trustworthy enough to share the secret with. Be a modest woman. Don't ever be a braggart.", said Isabella with a knowing and kind smile. "I want you to be careful of who you trust with your secret. If word gets out about who you are, then you'll sure to be in danger."_

_"I understand Isabella. I'll be modest like you said and I'll make sure to make you and everyone else proud. I know how to keep a secret.", Lucy said as she returned her kind smile back. Her look turned curious and she asked, "Why would I be in danger?"_

_"There are forces beyond our control outside the Spirit World. All Sentinels that have passed and that now guard the gates keep their titles a secret. Their Guild Masters know who they are and so do the Saints and the Council and their Sentinel brethren, but their friends and loved ones don't. It's a safety precaution. I can't explain to you how very very very important it is for you to keep your title a secret. When you become a Full-Fledged Sentinel, then that's when we'll go into detail about why our secrets should remain just that, secrets. Just know that you'll be protecting everyone you hold dear from some very dangerous forces. That's all I can tell you of this matter for now.", answered Isabella with a look of authority and seriousness that chilled Lucy to the bone._

_Lucy gulped and nodded her head. "Okay. I'll keep it a secret. But what happens if I need to use what I've learned to help someone in an emergency? What if they ask me how I do what I do and what kind of Magic I use? What then?", Lucy asked with slight panic. 'In those situations, it would be very difficult to play it off and lie about who I am.', Lucy thought to herself._

_"It's easy. In an emergency, use what we've taught you. If they ask questions, then answer with cryptic answers. Don't lie, but also don't divulge the complete truth. Gain a steel-like resolve and don't share who you are to anyone, but to those who I've told you. The Saints, The Guild Masters, The Council, and among the ranks of the Sentinels of whom you'll be joining. Don't despair. This is for the greater good. You're a very capable young woman.", said Isabella as she held onto Lucy's shoulders trying to reassure her. "I'm sure that you'll be just fine. And when the time does come for you to tell those you love about who you are, then I'm sure they'll understand. I'm sure Natsu will understand.", said Isabella teasingly._

_This gave Isabella the reaction that she wanted from Lucy. She quickly stepped back from Lucy. Lucy's face was now completely covered in a crimson tinge and her body was now completely engulfed in Blue-Flames. Lucy was cupping her cheeks in embarrassment. "W-W-What do you mean by that?", blurted out Lucy. "S-S-Stop teasing me."_

_Isabella stifled a chuckle while replying in kind. "I'm sorry Lucy. I just wanted to see your reaction. You need to control your emotions more. We don't want you to burn down the court again."_

_"I-It's your f-fault I'm like this.", said Lucy trying to calm herself down while the red tinge in her face was decreasing slightly._

_"Don't worry about it my deary. You'll be fine. It's so adorable how flustered you get at the mention of his name. I promise that I'll stop teasing you,...for now.", said Isabella while smiling slyly. "Don't forget what I've told you."__  
_

Lucy took in a deep breath and looked up at Kelsie. They were all silent and waiting for her reply. "I'm a Celestial Wizard. Nothing more, nothing less. My training helped me...find different things about myself. That's all I can say on that matter.", said Lucy with a neutral tone and a friendly smile.

Anna looked worriedly towards Lucy, while Jacob and Kelsie were wary of Lucy's quick change in mood and hesitation. Anna didn't say a word as she held onto Plue and payed much more attention to him while gazing every now and again at the other three and listening to their conversation. Jacob knew not to press on the questions because he suspected that Lucy didn't want to share. Kelsie however, was still determined to find out more about Lucy.

"What was with the pause? Why don't you answer my questions? Tell us what you know, what you are.", said Kelsie with more volume and abrasiveness in her tone as she got a little bit closer to Lucy.

Lucy looked at her with cold eyes that conveyed seriousness and intimidation. The glare from Lucy gave both Kelsie and Jacob a chill that ran down their spines. They could see small Blue-Flames dancing in the irises of Lucy's eyes. Lucy answered with a serious and deathly cold voice while tilting her head for a dramatic and spine-tingling effect, "I said, that's...all...I...can...say on...that...matter."

Lucy heard all of them swallow spit at once and she mentally thanked Lia for teaching her that trick a few weeks ago during one of their training sessions. She didn't know if it would ever come in handy, but she thought that it wouldn't hurt to try. 'Glad I said yes to her offer. Otherwise, I'd be in big trouble right about now.', Lucy thought to herself.

Kelsie and Jacob backed away to the farthest part of their seat away from Lucy and near the door while Anna pulled her legs closer to her body. Plue was still in Anna's arms, embraced in a tight hug.

Kelsie was twiddling with her thumbs and looked down at the floor as she also brought her legs closer to her chest. She then said, "Ummmm...I'm sorry Lucy. I didn't mean to be pushy...I-I was j-just curious. I-I'll stop a-asking questions now." Kelsie looked like she was shrinking in fear. Jacob was too and so was Anna.

"Punn pun.", said Plue.

Lucy straightened herself again and scooted next to Kelsie and gave her a hug that surprised the young woman. Kelsie returned the hug in kind without saying a word.

"I'm sorry about scaring all of you, but I can't really say who I am, or how I do what I do. Just know that I'll always be a friend to all of you.", said Lucy in a loving tone and loud enough for them all to hear her. "Secrets are secrets for a reason. I won't ask what Magic you three have, and don't expect me to explain myself either. You're all my friends, so don't take me keeping my secrets the wrong way. Okay?"

Lucy felt warm arms wrap around her from behind. She felt liquid soaking both her shoulders as the two sisters hugged her tightly and cried on her. She saw Jacob with the corner of her eye sporting a wide smile while holding onto Plue. She heard Kelsie and Anna mumble, "O-O-Okay.", through their sobs.

Lucy thought to herself, 'Hmmm...maybe I shouldn't have scared them too much. But wait, I don't think it was just me. These three are still holding onto a whole lot of emotional baggage. I don't think they've ever had a friend before besides amongst themselves. I need to find out more about their village.' Lucy turned with her back to the seat and hugged both Anna and Kelsie towards her chest, comforting them in her warm embrace. 'It's not my place to ask them any personal questions. Those will have to wait.'

"Shhhh, shhhh. Calm down you two. It'll be alright. To help calm you down during this long train ride, how about we eat some snacks?", Lucy asked them while releasing them from the embrace.

"W-What snacks?", asked Anna while sitting up and looking at Lucy while wiping her tears away. Kelsie doing the same thing, as if mimicking or mirroring Anna's movements.

"I wanted it to be a surprise. I brought some cakes and snacks. I knew that this would be a long train ride. We might as well snack on some sweets.", said Lucy with a wide grin.

"Sure, that sounds nice.", said Kelsie as a smile slowly crept back up on her face. "Wait, when did you have time to do that? I thought we were with you the whole time...except for those 30 minutes when you went to the restroom...ohhhhhh...nevermind." Kelsie chuckled lightly to herself for not realizing it until that moment. Kelsie thought to herself, 'Now I know why she had an extra bag with her when she came back and met us at the train station before we boarded.'

Lucy bent down quickly and grabbed the bag from under the bench. She opened the seal and they were all quickly assaulted by the pleasing aroma of the baked goods in the green synthetic bag. "Pick a snack and eat up.", Lucy declared while she placed the bag between the 2 benches so that Jacob could get access to the food too. Lucy bent down again and took out 3 light green face towels from her bag and tossed each of them on their laps. "Wipe your tears away with those, but if you do need to use the train's restroom, then feel free to do so."

"Thanks Lucy. I'll go 1st.", said Jacob. He clutched the towel in his left hand and wiped his tears away as he opened the doors to the booth and closed it.

"Thank you Big Sis Lucy.", said Anna as she wiped away her tears. Anna plopped the towel on her lap and bent down to get a Chocolate Chip Cookie from the bag.

Kelsie swiftly wiped away her tears as well as some mucus that escaped from her nostrils. "Thank you. You always think of everything, don't you?", Kelsie asked with a smile while sniffling.

"Yeah, I have to. My...teachers taught me that if you don't think ahead, then you'll be dead. I know it sounds grim, but they did make a point.", answered Lucy as she picked out a Red Velvet Cupcake from one of the containers in the bag. She nibbled at it until there wasn't anymore of the cupcake left and tossed the cupcake wrapper in a smaller and empty red synthetic bag inside the green bag.

Anna devoured one Chocolate Chip Cookie after another until she finished her 7th one and stopped for awhile. She then asked, "Hey Big Sis Lucy, those people that you froze in those blocks of ice, how long will they be frozen?"

"That sure is a good yet random question out of nowhere.", Lucy said while smiling. Jacob walked back into the booth looking refreshed and sat back down on his seat after closing the door behind him. "Those Rogues or whatever it is that they call themselves will be trapped in my ice for maybe an hour or so. I can't permanently trap people and other living things in my magic-ice for long because I don't have that much control over it. I'm still new to it." Lucy praised herself mentally, 'There you go, it wasn't a lie, and you didn't reveal too much information. You go, girl!' Lucy continued answering Anna by saying, "Non-living things and inanimate objects are a different story. I can trap them in ice for days. It's not a permanent thing. Which means I need to train even more."

Lucy looked at Anna, Kelsie in mid-bite of a Peanut Butter Cookie, and Jacob eating a Pumpkin Pie on a paper plate with a plastic fork. They had grim and sad looking faces. Their obvious reactions to what she told them stung her. She didn't want to upset them, but she didn't want to lie to them either. She didn't and couldn't mention her magics and title, but she had to be truthful with the effects of her magics. Lucy cursed herself mentally, 'Damn it. I should've known that they'd react like this.' Lucy took a deep breath and then said, "Look, I will catch those bastards again and make sure that they stay on ice when I hand them to the authorities. They won't get away with what they did." She sounded more threatening and pissed off instead of confident and aloof. 'I've got to work on sounding out what I'm feeling more, because I sounded like I was going to kill someone.', thought Lucy to herself. She wanted to beat those guys up more for what they did, but she wasn't a killer. 'Whoa girl! Why do you suddenly sound like Natsu? Is he rubbing off on you?', Lucy's conscience was asking her questions that she couldn't answer. She quickly pushed them to the back of her mind before her cheeks started to betray and convey her thoughts out loud.

"Thank you again.", said Kelsie with a half-smile while eating her 5th Peanut Butter Cookie. "I think I can speak for all of us when I say that we are truly grateful for your kindness."

Jacob nodded his head in agreement while eating his 2nd helping of Pumpkin Pie.

Anna smiled wide in agreement as well while eating more Cookies of different flavors.

"You're welcome.", replied Lucy with a smile. "Now let's keep on snacking. We can't have all of this food go to waste. And besides, we still have a few hours until we get to Magnolia." Lucy thought to herself while eating a Chocolate Chip Muffin, 'You know what? You really are sounding and acting a little bit like Natsu. What has gotten into you?'

* * *

~ Lucy's POV ~

(After The Train Ride And Their Walk From The Train Station To The Fairy Tail Guildhall)

After the long train ride to Magnolia and containers of sweets and baked goods consumed, Lucy, Anna, Kelsie, and Jacob find themselves in front of the doors that lead to the Guildhall of Fairy Tail. They fell asleep from time to time on the train and woke up refreshed. The food they ate gave them a sugar rush, and then a sugar meltdown which helped them sleep. The walk from the train station to Fairy Tail proved to be a challenge for one of them, but they didn't give up. They're now composing themselves or wiping sweat off of them and making themselves look presentable before they entered the Guildhall. Lucy's heart was beating really quickly, she was standing there in front of the doors with one hand ready to open it, but she was nervous, and she didn't know why. Jacob was standing there next to her, but he was watching Kelsie and Anna. They were a couple of feet away from the doors.

"That was such a long train ride and a long walk...uhhhh.", complained Anna while wiping the sweat off of her with a blue towel from Lucy.

"Come on Anna, compose yourself already. That walk wasn't that bad. You don't hear us complaining?", said Kelsie while looking at her little sister's somewhat hilarious display of exhaustion. She couldn't control herself from smiling at her little sister's predicament. 'I shouldn't be smiling, but Anna is just too adorable.', Kelsie thought to herself.

Jacob stopped watching Kelsie and Anna and turned around to see Lucy standing in front of her Guild's doors as if she was frozen. 'I wonder what's the matter with her.', Jacob thought to himself. He turned around to Kelsie and Anna and said, "Pssst, hey you two. I think something's wrong with Lucy"

Lucy's heart kept on beating faster and faster. 'Am I excited, nervous, or what? What's wrong with me?', Lucy asked herself. 'Why can't I move? I feel numb all over, gosh this sucks. Think Lucy, think!' All of a sudden she recalls Godrick's words to her.

_[Flashback To Her 6th Day Of Training During Her 3rd Month]_

_Godrick was sitting with one of his legs crossed over the other on the star-lit grassy fields of the Court Of The Spirit Sages. He was wearing a plain white t-shirt and blue and black striped track pants. He had no shoes or socks on. Lucy was wearing a plain orange t-shirt, lacy orange brassiere with matching underwear, black and white striped track pants, and like Godrick, her feet was bare. She was sitting a few feet away in front of him with one of her legs over the other. After a few hours of magical reserve expansion training, they decided to take a breather._

_Lucy was star gazing until he heard Godrick ask her something. She immediately met the intense gaze of his glowing brown eyes with her own chocolate-brown ones._

_"Lucy. I want to ask you a question?", Godrick asked as he waited for Lucy to meet his gaze. Godrick had an air of seriousness about him and Lucy tried to mimic his seriousness with her own._

_"What do you wish to ask me?", she replied with her own question. Lucy thought to herself, 'Speaking to this man reminds me of my etiquette and speech classes with one of my teachers back home at the Heartfilia Manor. Isabella is fun to talk to and all, but this guy, there's just something about him that makes me want to speak to him in a more classy and elegant manner and tone of voice. I wonder why?'_

_"How are you at controlling your emotions? It's been a few days since...the incident with your blue-flames and all. I just wanted to know how your training is going in that department."_

_Lucy silently smacked herself mentally. 'Damn it. Why do they have to keep asking about that!? Isn't it enough that I almost burned and froze this place? Why do they have to keep on reminding me? It was a dumb mistake. I apologized to them at most a hundred times already. They all give me an hour or 2 of emotion training or whatever they call it, every night before I go to bed. They don't want what happened to repeat and I understand that, but why do they have to keep on reminding me about it? Damn it!' She __took a deep breath and answered him with wavering confidence. "I-I'm still working on it with the girls and..."_

_"And...?", he asked looking perplexed and serious._

_"And...I'm still terrible at it.", she finished her answer with a defeated tone._

_"I know that you'll get better at it. I can see you as the type of person who doesn't give up once she sets her mind on something.", He said with a rare smile that crossed his face._

_Lucy was at awe at Godrick's comment and at his smile. She's only seen him smile at least once a day. "Ummm...thanks.", Lucy said while giving him back a smile of her own.  
_

_"The gift that you've been given is a rare one. I've only heard of one person ever receiving what you've been given. This new power is powered by your emotions. It's a double-edged sword in its own way. It's very powerful, but it can prove to be fatal too.", Godrick stated with a gruff voice and a neutral look on his face._

_"How can it be fatal? Aside from accidentally burning and freezing anything and everyone I touch.", Lucy asked with a worried look on her face._

_"If you don't control your powerful emotions, then your body will burn up and you'll exhaust yourself. Your very life force will be drained if you're not careful. It doesn't use your magic energy and power, but you can combine it with your magic. Like your magic power, it is connected to your life force. That's why we want you to learn how to control your emotions properly. If your emotions are in turmoil, then you're body will freeze up. You won't be able to move an inch until you've calmed yourself down. If you stay in that freezing state, then your body will engulf itself in your blue-flames and it'll quickly spread. Not to mention that you'll be vulnerable. From there you can guess what happens to you and anyone and anything around you." Godrick paused for a few seconds and then continued with his explanations. " Make sure that you don't exhaust yourself too much when using this newly-acquiered power. It'll put a tax on your body. When the time is right you'll be able to control it with ease."__  
_

_"You seem to know an awful lot about this. How come?", Lucy asked looking more curious than ever as she raised one of her eyebrows._

_"That is a tale for another time." Godrick quickly changed the __subject. "This power will affect your personality at times, your appetite, and your physical energy. You'll find yourself wanting to eat sweets and food more. I don't know why. It's a powerful and odd mystery. Don't look to me or the Elder Star who gave you this power for an explanation. You'll find things out by yourself."_

_Lucy let Godrick's words sink into her thoughts and she tried to summarize it. She then said, "Okay, to paraphrase or summarize what you just __said, this power is tied to my emotions and will affect my personality. It'll strain my body, but it won't use up my magic power when I use it. Like my magic power, it's connected to my life force. If my emotions are in turmoil, then I'll be in trouble. That's why I need to learn how to control them. I'll exhaust myself and strain my body too much if I use it too much and that'll cause death for me and death and destruction for anyone and anything around me. I can combine it with my magic power and spells to make even more powerful magics and spells. With practice I can control this power more easily, but I'm guessing it'll be a long time until that'll happen. I'll get hungrier, I'll eat more, I'll have more energy, but I'll also lose that energy easily if I'm not careful. The rest I have to figure out myself." Lucy let out a breath and then said, "It looks like I've got my work and training cut out for me."_

_Godrick let out a soft chuckle. He then said, "Power always has a price and control takes time to achieve. You've summarized it well. That brief description might lengthen once you familiarize yourself with the Cold-Flames of Emotion. It'll take time."_

_"There you Sages go again with your cryptic messages.", Lucy said while pouting and looking slightly annoyed. She then sighs and then says appreciatively, "Thanks for the pick-me-up and for telling me as much as you can."_

_"You're gratitude is enough to lift anyone's spirits. Now that we're both calmed, let's keep on working on trying to expand your magical power reserves.", said Godrick while standing up._

_"Okay, let's get this over with.", said Lucy while putting both her hands on her knees and closing her eyes._

_[Flashback Ends]_

Lucy started to take deep breaths. She felt her pulse slow down. The numbness in her body was slowly disappearing. She could feel hands on both of her shoulders. She turned around and saw worried looks on Anna, Kelsie, and Jacob's faces. She didn't know how she looked at the moment, but she guessed that she probably looked pathetic.

"Hey, Lucy. Are you alright? You were standing there for 3 minutes now.", said Kelsie while her hands were on Lucy's shoulders.

"Yeah, I'm alright now.", answered Lucy with a fake smile. 'You're so not alright you liar! You were frozen there because you couldn't control your emotions. Are you nervous? Anxious? What? Get a hold of yourself!', Lucy's inner-self scolded her intensely. "I guess I'm just nervous."

Anna and Jacob both shared a look of worry before putting on half-hearted smiles. Kelsie shook her head and smiled at Lucy.

"I'm glad that you're moving now.", said Kelsie. "We should probably go inside now. You still need to introduce us to your guild."

"Yeah, we're excited.", added Anna.

'Thanks you three for not asking me what happened.', Lucy thought to herself. Lucy turned around to face the doors again and took a deep breath before saying, "Okay, let's go in. Be careful though, because it can get kind of rowdy in here." Lucy took another deep breath and made a list in her mind about what she needed to do when she entered the Guildhall, 'Greet everyone, tell Mira that the missions was a success, keep your powers in check, keep your training in check, don't reveal too much information, only tell Master Makarov the whole truth and you'll be golden. And P.S. lie about how you got your emblem.'

Lucy opened the doors to the Guildhall with greater ease than before. She felt like the doors were much more lighter as she pushed them open. She now stood at the frame of the entrance to Fairy Tail with her new friends next to her. She let out a breath that she didn't know she was holding. She was nervous for nothing. The Guild was as rowdy as usual. There was a fight happening between Natsu, Gajeel, and Gray. The brawl kept on getting bigger as more members joined in on the tussle. Mirajane was behind the bar serving drinks, Juvia was watching Gray with heart-shaped eyes, Elfman was in the fight and he kept on shouting things about how it's Manly to be in fights or something like that, Macao and Romeo were protecting some of the other guild members that were watching the fight from all sorts of random debris with their combined Purple Flare Net, Laki was talking to both Bisca and Alzack at a table at the back of the Guild, Max was playing with little Asuka at a nearby table next to her parents, the Thunder Legion also known as the Thunder God Tribe was on the 2nd floor watching the brawl with amused smirks on their faces. Lisanna, Wendy, Carla, and Happy were watching the battle while standing behind Romeo and Macao's protective net. Wakaba was smoking behind a pillar. It was a good spot because any debris that would've hit him would be blocked by the wooden pillar. Levy was in another corner of the Guildhall, reading a new book from the library.

Lucy looked around but she couldn't find Erza or Cana anywhere. 'That's odd.', She thought to herself. 'No wonder this fight's getting out of hand. Erza isn't here to stop them. Oh well. I could care less. I've lost count of the numerous fights that have happened in these halls. Though I'll admit, I missed watching the fights. I missed this place so much. They haven't noticed that I'm back. That's fine. They're busy with this fight, and I'd rather not get involved in this Guild brawl.' Lucy smiled brightly and felt tears brim in the corners of her eyes, but she quickly blinked them away.

"You three follow me and watch out for the flying people and the debris.", Lucy said as she saw her new friend's reactions. Lucy chuckled to herself. 'This might be a handful for them, but I think they can survive. After all, I did survive this Guild too. It's a whole lot of fun.'

Kelsie shook off her shock and replaced it with a look of amusement. Jacob had both his brows raised at the sight he saw before him, he couldn't understand it at all. Anna was just grinning and hiding behind Jacob just in case a flying object hit her. Anna did take a peak at the battle every now and again, but she still hid behind Jacob.

As Lucy walked to Mirajane with her new friends close behind, she was debating whether she should make her reappearance known to her Guild, but they were all clearly busy with either the fight, avoiding the fight, watching it, or talking amongst themselves.

"Hi Mira.", Lucy said loudly as she walked over to Mirajane to get her attention.

Mirajane walked on right over and beamed a bright smile at Lucy. "Hey Lucy. Welcome back. How was the job? And who are your three new friends?", Mirajane asked while she dodged an empty mug that almost hit her face.

Lucy couldn't help but mirror Mira's bright smile. "Thanks Mira. It was excellent. I completed it without a problem and these three want to join the Guild." Lucy pointed to each one of her new friends and introduced them to Mira. "This is Jacob, Anna, and Kelsie." The three smiled as Lucy introduced them to Mirajane.

Jacob blocked an incoming plate that was headed towards Anna with his forearm and swiftly caught it and placed it on the counter of the bar. "Hello, it's so nice to meet you.", he said with a smile.

"It's a very honored pleasure.", Kelsie said as she shook Mira's hands with her own while smiling.

"You're very pretty.", said Anna with twinkles in her eyes as she stared at Mirajane.

"That's great to hear Lucy. And why thank you Anna.", said Mirajane with her signature smile. Mira took out the quest log book, dodged a fork and spoon that almost hit her neck and wrote something on it. "And it's also very nice to meet you three, and thank you very much Anna." Mirajane thought to herself while smiling, 'It's amazing how Lucy found three new recruits after her job. Is it just me or is her hair a bit longer than it was yesterday, and what's that blue mark on her face.' Mirajane looked towards Lucy and asked, "Hey Lucy, what's with that blue mark on your face?"

Lucy touched her right cheek and replied, "Oh, you mean this. It's just a magical tattoo that I got. I had someone magically apply it. Needles hurt, so magic was easier." Lucy felt bad for lying to Mirajane of all people, but she had to keep it secret. Lucy felt her chest tighten a little. 'Lying to them; my family and friends, is gonna hurt and I can feel it. This is going to be way harder than I thought. Deception isn't my strong suit.'

"Oh okay. I never figured you for someone who'd get a tattoo, magical or otherwise. But still, it looks so cute on you. You make it work.", Mirajane replied while still sporting her joyful and room-brightening smile. Mirajane leaned into Lucy's ears and whispered, "In my opinion it totally brings out the color in your eyes. You'll definitely get you-know-who's attention with it. And that white cloak looks amazing on you too. Let's hope he notices."

Lucy felt her face turn a shade of red. She silently thought to herself, 'Damn it Mira. That was so uncalled for. Calm down Lucy, calm down. Or else this place will get burnt or frozen.' She grabbed her cheeks and tried calming herself down.

Mirajane backed away from Lucy to see her reaction. Jacob, Kelsie, and Anna were surprised and amused by Lucy's sudden change in color. Whatever Mirajane whispered to her, they wanted to know. Mirajane smiled slyly and held back a chuckle. 'Awww, isn't that cute? Her feelings for Natsu are getting stronger. I can't wait to help them hook-up. They're such a cute couple.' Mirajane was enjoying Lucy's adorable reactions until she saw a flash of blue cross Lucy's eyes. 'Hmmm...I wonder what that was? For a second there her eyes changed from chocolate-brown to blue...hmmm...maybe it's just my imagination. Yeah, that must be it. I am a bit exhausted.'

Lucy calmed down and her cheeks returned to their natural color. She then said, "I'll leave these three at the bar with you. I need to talk to Master Makarov. He's still up in his office, right?"

"He's right up there. Paperwork is keeping him busy.", replied Mirajane. "I'll keep these three company until you get back."

Kelsie, Jacob, and Anna took a seat at the bar while dodging a few more utensils and mugs that almost collided with them.

"Thanks Mira. I'll be right back.", said Lucy. "Be careful. It gets more wilder in here." Lucy smiled as she finished her last comment and started walking up the stairs towards Master Makarov's office.

* * *

~ Annabelle's POV ~

"It gets wilder than this? That must be something.", said Kelsie while looking around.

"Yeah it does. The cleaning takes a long time too, but we manage.", said Mirajane as she ducked down to avoid a chair.

"This place seems like fun.", said Anna with a bright smile.

"Hey Mira, what did you whisper to Lucy that made her blush like that?", asked Kelsie with a raised brow.

"I'd like to know that as well.", said Jacob cooly.

Mirajane popped up and smiled mischievously, "I'll tell you."

Anna wasn't paying attention to what Mirajane was saying when she spotted Lucy bounding up the stairs. She was looking at Lucy. Lucy was instinctively dodging flying debris and projectiles that came her way. She looked so graceful and elegant as she moved. She didn't even look back to dodge any of the flying objects. She moved her body away from them as if she knew where they were headed. Lucy moved precisely and with grace with each given step. Each object missing her by a fraction of a centimeter. Anna was awestruck and couldn't stop from admiring Lucy's gracefulness. She always liked beautiful things and she was very much into dancing, particularly ballet. To her, Lucy looked like a graceful ballerina moving with such elegance and hidden purpose up the stairs as she effortlessly avoided any of the flying debris that came her way. She couldn't help but say, "Wow.", silently to herself.

* * *

~ Lucy's POV ~

Lucy was walking up the stairs and was very deep in thought. She didn't notice how she was instinctively dodging and avoiding any and all the flying objects and debris that came her way. She was thinking about Natsu and she even stole glances at his now bare chest. His one-long sleeved trench coat was on the floor, and he's fighting in only his white knee-length trousers, the thick black wristband is still on his left wrist, his black open-toed sandals, and his scale-patterned scarf that's wrapped snugly against his neck. She stopped herself from ogling the sight of Natsu's half-naked body. She needed to gather her thought together. She was determined to tell Master Makarov everything because he's the only one that she's allowed to tell. Lucy kept on dodging flying debris as she bounded up the stairs. She didn't notice Anna, Levy, and the Thunder God Tribe watching her graceful and precise movements. She was trained really well and was told that things would become natural to her, but she didn't know how natural, and how automatic her reflexes would become.

She reached Master Makarov's door and knocked while saying, "Hey Master, can I come in?"

"Yes, of course.", He replied.

Lucy walked in with a smile, closed the door behind her, and said, "Hey Master, I have something very important to tell you. Would you mind listening?"

"Sure my child. Take a seat and tell me what's on your mind.", said Master Makarov as he sat on his desk with one leg over the other and waited for Lucy to speak. He noticed a peculiar looking mark on Lucy's right cheek. He felt a different magical energy and a stronger magical presence from Lucy. He noticed that her hair grew more longer in one day than it should have, and that white cloak. 'Where have I seen that cloak before?', he asked himself inwardly.

"What I'm about to tell you should only be kept between us, is that alright?", asked Lucy with a serious look on her face.

Master Makarov muttered a few words under his breath and the walls of the room that they were in started glowing a faint yellow glow and after a few seconds it dissipated. He then said, "I put up a sound and vibration barrier. No one, not even a dragonslayer will be able to hear what we'll be discussing in this room. Feel free to start anytime."

"Well Master.", Lucy began and pulled out and showed him the key that was around her neck. "I'm a Celestial Sentinel. I'm not a full-fledged one yet, but I will be." Lucy had a pleasant smile on her face and her eyes brightened with glee.

Master Makarov smiled at her and said, "I should've guessed. That emblem on your cheek, your different magical energy, stronger presence, longer hair, that cloak. I should've noticed." He smiled even wider. "I'm proud to here that my child. Tell me how it happened. Don't leave out a single detail."

Lucy began to recount every detail of her adventure to Master Makarov. Unbeknownst to her and Master Makarov, trouble and a brilliant scheme was brewing outside the Master's Office.

* * *

~ Laxus's POV ~

"Hey Freed, did you see what I just saw?", asked Laxus while leaning against a wooden pillar.

"Yes I certainly did. Lucy dodged 13 plates, 3 spoons, 1 fork, 7 knives, and 5 empty beer mugs as well as some chairs and broken parts of tables without much effort.", answered Freed.

"Whoa man. You counted all of that?", asked Bickslow. "You counted? You counted?", asked repeatedly by his flying wooden dolls.

"And you're surprised, Bickslow? Freed is a very observational and attentive Wizard.", interjected Evergreen. "And yes Laxus, we all saw what you saw. Lucy has more grace and attention with every step she took. More so than she did during the Grand Magic Games."

"I wonder where and why she's been hiding her skills. I get the feeling that she's hiding something. Just now, Gramps' office stopped making noise. Which means Gramps and Lucy are discussing something private.", said Laxus.

"I wonder what that is.", added Freed while deep in thought.

"I'm pretty sure we can get her to reveal anything once she comes out of that office.", said Evergreen slyly.

"How can we help? This sounds like fun.", said Bickslow. "Sounds like fun. Sounds like fun.", repeated his flying wooden dolls.

"We've got to act fast before she gets out of Gramps' office.", said Laxus with a cocky grin. "This will get everyones attention for sure. Lucy will have to tell us what she's been hiding." Laxus silently thought to himself, 'Maybe this will also explain why she smells a little bit more different than before. No wonder Natsu or Gajeel didn't notice her return. Natsu usually knows whenever and wherever Lucy is. That dense idiot really needs to see that they both have feelings for each other. It's so damn obvious. He just can't see it. Gajeel reports to Levy whenever Blondie returns. At least he knows where his feelings are pointing him...I think. Mira's got a lot work to do.'

* * *

**How Was This Chapter? It's Not My Longest One, But It's Close. I Hope You Enjoyed It. A More Interesting One Will Be Up Next. What Do You Think Will Happen? Will Lucy Reveal Her Secrets? Will I Ever Get To Make A Quadruple Decker Peanut Butter And Jelly Sandwich? Find Out Soon.**

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	11. Chapter 11

**Author's Note: Please Enjoy This Next Chapter. The Thunder God Tribe/Legion Aren't The Villains Here. They're Just Wary And Curious. I'm Pretty Sure Others Would Too If Their Friend/Ally/Comrade/Guild Mate Suddenly Gained Amazing Reflexes And A Different Smell (Kinda Creepy, But Dragon Slayers Have To Be Cautious, Because Being Naive Gets You Killed) After Just A Day. It's Too Bad That They Don't Know What Lucy Went Through.**

**2nd Author's Note: ****Everything From My Questions To The Disclaimer, To Claimers, To Shoutouts Are Down Below After This Chapter.**

**Please Enjoy This Chapter. I'm Adding Another Talker Called Narrator's Voice A.K.A. Author's Voice. :)**

**And Lastly I Deeply Apologize For Being Really Late With This Update. I Give A Writer's Promise To Give You At Most 4 Chapters Before The End Of The Next Month, If Not More. I'll Completely Explain What Happened To Me This January That Hindered My Writing Ability. The Explanation Will Be At The Bottom Of This Chapter. Thank You All For Your Patience.**

**Now Enjoy.**

* * *

**Chapter Eleven: Unexpected Complications**

_**~ Begins Inside The Fairy Tail Guildhall**_

* * *

~ Narrator's Voice ~

37 minutes have passed since Lucy went into Master Makarov's office. She's been informing and recounting every thing that's happened to her to Master Makarov. What Lucy doesn't know is that 37 minutes was the perfect amount of time for Laxus and his Thunder God Tribe/Legion to formulate a plan and put it into action. Freed's been awfully busy being aloof while writing runes all over the 2nd floor and the 1st floor. He's placed them in very strategic areas which will help them in their plan to try to get the truth out of Lucy. The fighting that's been going on in the 1st floor of the Guildhall helped disguise Freed's intentions. They've formulated a very direct yet intricate plan. They want to know why Lucy seemed like a very different person today than she was previously. They do have the right intentions in mind and they suspected that asking her straight forwardly for answers won't get anywhere. They're right to be wary and cautious, but still...this could get out of hand.

* * *

~ Lucy's POV ~

"...and now I'm here.", said Lucy while catching her breath. 'That took longer to explain than I thought.', thought Lucy. "Oh yeah Master, please don't mention to Anna, Kelsie, and Jacob that I told you about their past.", said Lucy with pleading eyes.

"Don't worry about it child. Your secrets are safe with me.", said Master Makarov while smiling reassuringly.

"Thank you.", said Lucy with a smile of her own. "I'm so relieved to tell you all of this."

"Yes, I can see that." His soft features suddenly turned into a serious expression. "I know fairly well how taxing it'll be to keep this a secret from everyone, but just know that I'll be here for you for support. You're not the 1st Celestial Sentinel I've met, and you won't be the last. It'll feel like a breath of fresh air for you once you meet others just like you."

Lucy's smile returned. "That's great. I can't wait to meet them." Lucy's smile turned into a neutral one as she pondered something. She then voiced out her thoughts. "Hey Master, is there anyone in our Guild that's a Sentinel?"

"I'm sorry Lucy, but you're the only one in our Guild that holds that title and power.", said Master Makarov looking a little glum. "Don't worry my child. You'll meet others like you someday, just not now. You've still got training to do. When you're done, then that's when the Spirit Sages will inform you of the location of the Celestial Sentinel's Stronghold in Fiore. It's a well guarded location that only a select few outside the Spirit Sages and Celestial Sentinels know of it's whereabouts. I'm very proud of you Lucy. You're growing up so fast. You're becoming an even more exceptional Wizard indeed.", finished Master Makarov with pride in his eyes and a warm smile.

A red tinge appeared on Lucy's cheeks so fast, that Master Makarov couldn't help but chuckle. "T-Thank you, Master."

"You're welcome.", said Master Makarov after he stifled his chuckling. "You should probably greet everyone else downstairs now. If you stay here any longer, they'll start thinking that something's wrong."

"You've got a point there, but Master. I'm pretty sure that the fighting downstairs is still going on. And you know that the only one that can stop them from fighting is either Erza, Mirajane, Laxus, and you.", said Lucy while pouting slightly.

"I'd stop them, but..." Master Makarov stops talking and looks over at the huge piles of paperwork behind him and starts to tear up a bit. "...I've got these stacks of paperwork to deal with."

Lucy just notices the stacks of paperwork and gulps while looking worried. "Wow Master, is that all for this month alone?"

"No, they're all for this week alone.", said Master Makarov while looking down at the ground and radiating a very depressing aura. "They're bills, damage reports, complaints, threats, etc. They're from many different people that had the displeasure of hiring us and ending up with more damages than the jobs are worth." He then lets out a very deep sigh.

Lucy places her left hand on Master Makarov's right shoulder and squeezes it reassuringly and comfortingly while saying, "It'll be alright Master. I'll help control them for you. I'll help lessen the damages with my team when I'm done with my training. Like I told you, I'll be gone for 2 more days. I need to go back to the Celestial Spirit World tomorrow afternoon. I'll miss you and everyone else, but I need to finish my training. When I come back, I'll be a Celestial Sentinel. I'll help out with the Guild as much as I can."

Master Makarov looks at Lucy's reassuring and confident eyes. He can't help but smile while saying, "Thank you my child. That would mean the world to me. I don't know why Erza isn't here to keep them under control and since she's not here, I'm counting on you."

"You can count on me.", said Lucy while smiling brightly. "I'll leave you with your paper work now. I'll try to stop the fighting downstairs." Lucy walks over to the door and turns around and smiles at Master Makarov. "Thank you for listening Master. I'm happy that I got to tell you everything."

"You're welcome my child. I'll be around whenever you need to talk. I'll see you later." Master Makarov waves good bye at her and turns to his stacks of paperwork and starts his painful dive into the lists of bills, complaints, and whatever different types of paperwork there is that's been sent to him.

Lucy smiles and waves back at Master Makarov and turns towards the door. She opens it, exits the office, and then closes the door behind her. As soon as she walks out, she felt a strong sense of immediate danger in the air. A bombardment of loud noises came from the ensuing brawl from the 1st floor, but that was normal inside the Guildhall. The strong sense of danger however, was very different. She quickly mumbled a quick incantation under her breath while she scanned her surroundings,

**"Yellow Starlight Gather At My Feet,**

**Star Magic:**

**Dancing Lights."**

As soon as those words left her mouth, small yellow magic seals appeared underneath her feet and light subtly gathered itself underneath her brown thigh-high boots. She released a minuscule fraction of her magic power onto her feet and instinctively pushed off on her right foot. She now found herself 15 feet to the left from where she was initially standing. The area where she was standing just a second ago exploded into numerous displays of smoke, magical explosions, charred wood and splintered debris. Lucy's smile from earlier turned into a determined and wary expression. 'That was close. Note to self: Thank Lia for the constant training with Dancing Lights. I've got to find out what just happened before something else occurs. I can only keep up this light-speed traveling for 30 minutes at most before I have to cast it again.' Lucy looks around and listens while scanning the 2nd floor, but then she notices that the sounds of fighting from downstairs stopped. She also notices floating purple runes in the air around her. There were runes blocking Master Makarov's office door and the surrounding walls. 'It looks like those runes protected Master Makarov's office.', thought Lucy. 'Wait... What the heck is going on? Freed's runes... That explosion... This silence...' Lucy lets out a deep breathe and sighs. She walks over to the edge of the 2nd floor's wooden railing and scans everyone's faces. She just now notices that everyone was looking at her with disbelieving, shocked, and surprised expressions. 'This is going to be a long afternoon.', thought Lucy discouragingly.

* * *

~ Narrator's Voice ~

Let's rewind back and see from someone else's point of view for a little while. A couple of minutes prior to the attack on Lucy.

* * *

~ Evergreen's POV ~

"Freed, are you done with those runes yet?", asked Evergreen impatiently.

"I just completed the finishing touches.", said Freed smiling with pride.

"Good job. Now all we need to do is wait until Blondie comes out of Gramp's office.", said Laxus while grinning smugly. "You all remember the plan, right?"

"Yeah, of course man.", said Bickslow. "Weird thing is, you put way too much effort in this plan of yours. Hopefully Blondie and the rest of em won't be too pissed at us after this."

"We're doing a good thing. She's acting suspicious, and we're simply trying to get to the bottom of it.", added in Evergreen while drinking a cup of camomile tea.

"Yeah. She's right. If I know one thing that those covert jobs taught us, it's that you can never be too careful.", said Freed.

"Shhh... guys. I can hear the door to Gramp's office opening. Evergreen get ready, you're up 1st.", said Laxus while looking towards the direction of Master Makarov's office from across the other side of the 2nd floor. "Everyone get in your positions."

"Here we go.", said Bickslow. "Here we go! Here we go!", repeated by his flying wooden dolls.

* * *

~ Narrator's Voice ~

Now we'll go back to Lucy.

* * *

~ Lucy's POV ~

Everyone's eyes were on her. Their mouths were hung open. They didn't know what to say. They just heard an explosion and they immediately spotted smoke coming from the 2nd floor of their Guildhall, right in front of Master Makarov's office door. After a second, they witnessed their one and only Celestial Spirit Wizard appear out of thin air a good distance away from the explosion. They didn't know what to make of the scene. Gajeel, Levy, Annabelle, Kelsie, and Jacob were the only ones who saw Lucy somehow teleport from one place to another, besides the Thunder God Tribe/Legion. Gajeel left the fight to go get some metal to eat and he's sitting next to Levy while he's chatting and eating. Levy finished the book that she had been reading and was talking to Gajeel. Annabelle, Kelsie, and Jacob were finished eating some snacks and were drinking different types of juices. These five were the only ones, besides the Thunder God Tribe/Legion, that were watching what occurred from the very beginning.

Lucy was already lining up the explanations and excuses on her mind while being wary of the Thunder God Tribe/Legion. She figured out that one of them attacked her by the looks of them. To her, they looked like they were getting ready to fight. All her training with the Spirit Sages helped her increase her battle perception. She could now easily tell through body language and stance if someone was getting ready for a fight. Lucy was about to speak until someone else beat her to it.

"Lu-Lucy... wh-what happened? Where were you? You've been gone a day. When did you get back? And how did you do that whoosh and appearing out of nowhere thing?", asked Natsu with a very loud voice while looking confused and a little beat up from the now-paused brawl.

Lucy let out a deep sigh, turned towards them all and then said, "1st, I'm pretty sure someone attacked me. 2nd, I got back less than an hour ago. The fighting was getting out of hand, so some of you didn't notice that I got back, which is alright. 3rd,... ummm... I... don't know how...", said Lucy while scratching the back of her head with her right hand and laughing half-heartedly. 'Damn it Lucy! That last one was the worst answer you could have given, ever. You suck at lying.', cursed Lucy inwardly towards herself.

"What do you mean you were attacked?", asked Gray.

"Oy Blondie, what do you mean you don't know? From where I was sitting, you looked like you knew what you were doing.", said Gajeel with his signature smirk.

Levy elbowed Gajeel to make him stop. Gajeel just made a whatever expression and shrugged his shoulders.

Lucy shared a look of gratitude with Levy and winked at her. Levy winked and smiled back at her. 'I really wish I could tell you everything Levy.', Lucy thought to herself.

The rest of the guild was still speechless. Their looks of disbelief, shock, and surprise were replaced with looks of curiosity. They were listening to the entire exchange because they didn't want to miss a thing.

"Blondie, don't you have anything to explain to us?", asked Laxus with a overconfident smirk plastered on his face.

"I don't.", answered Lucy while crossing her arms over her chest in defiance.

"I guess we'll just have to make you talk.", added in Evergreen with a devious smile.

Natsu's hands are suddenly engulfed in his dragon slayer flames. "You guys aren't going to lay a finger on...", Natsu suddenly stopped talking. He along with everyone else were now surrounded by Freed's runes. They tried speaking, but they couldn't. No words left their mouth. They also tried to get past the rune barrier that now surrounded each and everyone one of them, but they couldn't. Their faces were a mixture of shock, anger, annoyance, and surprise.

Lucy's eyes widened in surprise. The runes weren't affecting her at all, and they weren't affecting the Thunder God Tribe/Legion either. Lucy clenched both of her fists and then shouted out, "What did you do to them?!"

"We'll tell you, if you tell us what you know.", said Laxus with an even bigger grin that exhaled over-confidence.

"Never!", shouted Lucy. Lucy touched her Celestial Spirit Keys and she was about to call upon her spirits to pass through their gate, but purple runes appeared right in front of her.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you.", said Freed. "Those runes say that...", before he could continue Lucy interrupts him and finishes his sentence.

"...no Celestial Fairy Tail Wizard is allowed to use their Celestial Spirit Keys inside this barrier. Failure to uphold this rule will result in reduced oxygen for said Celestial Wizard.", spat out Lucy with venom in her words. Lucy silently thanks her best friend Levy for teaching her how to read runes like these to a certain degree.

"I'm impressed that you can read my runes, but I'll be even more impressed if you can dodge that.", said Freed with a devilish smile.

"Dodge what?!", asked Lucy. As she asked that question, she felt a sudden surge of danger and adrenaline course through her. 'A sneak attack!', she thought to herself. Lucy then released another surge of her magic power onto her feet and pushed off of her left foot and light-speed traveled to a beam on the 3rd floor of the Guildhall. She took a glance back at where she was standing a second ago, only to find the spot burned to a crisp and charred debris flying everywhere. Lucy was starting to get really annoyed at their antics, but she had a neutral look on her face. She didn't want them to have the satisfaction of getting a reaction out of her.

Lucy's guild mates and friends were horrified and shocked to see what had happened. They thought that Lucy was obliterated by the Thunder God Tribe/Legion, until Natsu pointed up at the beam to where Lucy was. They all looked up at where he was pointing at and were more surprised and relieved to see Lucy standing on the beam without a scratch on her.

"I'm impressed that you dodged my attack.", said Evergreen. "Let's see if you can dodge it again." Evergreen then begins to shout out,

**"Fairy Machine Gun: Leprechaun!",**

while moving both her hands and pointing them at Lucy. All of a sudden, a torrent of energy needles made from concentrated dust appear next to Evergreen and they immediately head straight for Lucy with immense speed.

Before the energy needles hit Lucy, she appears a few inches behind Evergreen with her right fist engulfed in blue-flames. The wooden beam where Lucy was just standing a few milliseconds ago is now nothing but falling splintered and charred wooden debris. The explosions and the smoke prevented everyone from seeing what happened to Lucy. She expertly light-speed traveled to Evergreen's blindspot while engulfing her right fist in her blue-flames with the sole intention of freezing Evergreen in her tracks temporarily. Lucy was about to punch Evergreen's right shoulder blade, but she was interrupted.

* * *

~ Narrator's Voice ~

Bickslow, Freed, and Laxus were standing next to each other near the railing in the 2nd floor while Evergreen went down to stand on the 1st floor before she attacked Lucy with her 2nd sneak attack. She wanted to be flashy and to catch everyone's eye, but they were all looking at Lucy. Laxus's plan was for them to take on Lucy one on one, and Evergreen wanted to be the 1st. The only exception was that if they wanted to jump in to help, then they can. That's exactly what Bickslow did. He saw the explosion from Evergreen's attack, but he had an inkling feeling that Lucy would dodge the 2nd sneak attack like she did the 1st. He shifted his eyes from the explosion to Evergreen and saw Lucy behind Evergreen. Lucy had a neutral yet foreboding look on her face as she was about to punch Evergreen with her blue-flame covered fist. Bickslow reacted as fast as he could and ordered his wooden dolls to attack Lucy before she could touch Evergreen.

* * *

~ Lucy's POV ~

Lucy instinctively released another small surge of her magic power onto her feet again while pushing off of both of them. She dodged Bickslow's attack and ended up in the 1st floor like she wanted to. Her right fist is still engulfed in her blue-flames that kept on encircling her fist and getting more intense with each passing moment. Lucy's annoyance seems to be triggering her blue-flames to increase in power. Lucy thought to herself, 'Alrighty then, they're annoying me to no end. I might as well channel my annoyance at their pestering antics into my attacks. I'll just use my right hand for now, using both hands might prove too destructive and dangerous. We're inside the Guildhall, so I have no choice but to hold back. The question is, would they do the same thing?'

"Looks like Blondie is full of surprises today. Don't hold back Evergreen.", shouted out Laxus. "And Bickslow, that'll be the last time you interfere. I want to see what happens between these two."

Lucy looked in front of her and saw Natsu's surprised face behind the wall of runes. "I'm sorry. I can't explain what's been happening to me. Please forgive me.", said Lucy with obvious sadness in her voice. Lucy avoided everyone else's gaze because she was afraid that she would either breakdown or get more irritated which will cause her to possibly lose control over her blue-flames. 'This is not right. This isn't supposed to be how it goes down.', she thought to herself. Lucy looked up to see Evergreen flying up into the center airspace of the Guildhall.

Evergreen spread her wings promptly and swiftly flew into the airspace of the 3rd floor of the Guildhall with a sinister plan to carry out.

Lucy quickly debated her options inside her mind. 'What should I do? She's getting ready to attack again. Her attacks are almost as fast as I am. I can't light-speed travel to her with the risk of leaving my friends vulnerable. I don't even know whether Freed's runes will protect them. I've got to think of something fast.'

* * *

~ Narrator's Voice ~

Evergreen began her Fairy Ray attack with reckless abandon. She unleashed a torrential rain of rays made out of her own Fairy Dust towards everyone on the ground floor hoping to distract and defeat Lucy. She didn't notice what Lucy did, so she kept on with her attack. She heard her attacks strike something solid and an odd yellow and blue smoke filled the air. She kept at it for a few minutes until she stopped to see the carnage that she caused. As the yellow and blue smoke dissipated, what greeted her eyes as well as her fellow guild mate's eyes left them all struck dumb and their mouths agape.

* * *

~ Evergreen's POV ~

"W-W-What the heck is that?", she asked looking confused and surprised. "H-H-How can this be? I heard my attacks hit something solid. I-I-I'm...", she was about to finish her sentence until she felt a very cold chill and at the same time a burning sensation on her right shoulder. She turned her head to see what looked like a blue-flame covered gauntlet made out of ice on her right shoulder. She swallowed spit in fear and regret while beads of sweat escaped her.

"It's my specially made magical barrier. I could go into detail of how I do what I can do right now..., but I don't really feel like it. What I really feel like doing is making a quick deal with you. Now that you've asked me one question, let me ask you one. Answer it honestly, and I'll go easy on you. I promise. So, will you accept?", asked Lucy with a menacingly sweet tone of voice.

The magical barrier that Lucy set up starts to dissipate into soft fluorescent blue orbs of light until they all disappeared.

"Yes, I-I'll accept.", answered Evergreen with all the courage she could muster. 'Lucy is much more scarier than I remember. I'd hate to admit it, but she's more intimidating than Laxus. Why the heck did I ever listen to his plan?'

Now... Evergreen... What made you think attacking me was a good idea?", asked Lucy in a menacingly sweet tone of voice.

"W-W-Well you see, Ummmm ahhhhh...", Evergreen let out while trying to calm the panic and fear coursing through her. "I just followed their plan because you were acting suspicious. I-It wasn't my i-i-idea, I apologize. I'm so sorry."

"I understand and don't worry I'm not upset... just very very irritated.", replied Lucy still sporting her menacingly sweet tone of voice. She leaned in and whispered, "I forgive you. Now enjoy this moment, because you'll watch me beat up the rest of your team."

"Wai...", Evergreen was cut off because of what happened next.

Evergreen felt the chilling and burning sensation on her right shoulder crawl over her entire body. The blue-flames that were on Lucy's gauntlet-covered hand spread throughout Evergreen's body, but it left her neck and head intact. Evergreen was both shocked and scared because she didn't know what Lucy had in store for her. She couldn't talk, shout, or scream because she was in too much shock at the moment. After a few seconds, Evergreen's body from her shoulders down to the tips of her white sandals were now completely encased in ice. Evergreen fell to the ground with a loud thud, but she didn't feel the impact or the damage because the magic-ice she was encased in took the brunt force of the impact.

Evergreen looked around at the surprised faces of her guild mates and friends and mouthed out, "I'm sorry." She then looked up and saw Lucy floating in the air and sporting ice-gauntlets on both her hands. The blue-flames kept on encircling her clenched gauntlet-covered fists and spiraled throughout her forearms. There was a yellow glow on the bottom of Lucy's boots. It looked as if she was gathering light at the bottom of her boots and using that to float in mid-air. 'I'm glad she kept her promise.', thought Evergreen while signing in relief.

* * *

~ Lucy's POV ~

'That's one down. Now there's only Freed, Bickslow, and Laxus to deal with.', thought Lucy inwardly while sighing. 'This is gonna take a lot of time and energy. I can only light-speed travel for 24 minutes, give or take, so I hope I can make this quick.'

Lucy expertly and automatically released a surge of her magic power through her feet once more and appeared a few feet to the right of Freed, Bickslow, and Laxus. Laxus sensed her presence 1st and alerted the other two. They all turned towards her, ready to fight and avenge Evergreen.

"So, who's next?", asked Lucy with a normal tone of voice.

Bickslow charged forward towards her with his flying wooden dolls in tow.

'A volunteer, how nice.', thought Lucy while thinking of a sure-fire strategy to defeat him quickly and getting into a defensive stance.

* * *

~ Bickslow's POV ~

Bickslow charged towards Lucy and shouted out,

**"Defensive Circular Formation Babies!"**

All five of his wooden dolls encircles him as he runs towards Lucy's direction. The eyes and mouths of his wooden dolls start emitting a green glow.

Lucy smiles while thinking, 'Ah, so that's how he wants to play it. This is a new formation I've never seen before, but I think I've got the gist of it. He's gonna attack me head on while his dolls cover all of his blindspots. He doesn't think I'm fast enough to get close enough to hit him without being blasted by his dolls. The jokes on him though, because I don't need to get that close. I may not be as fast and as proficient as Lia with Dancing Lights as of yet, but I've got another trick up my sleeve. Note to self: I need to achieve the actual speed of light like she and many of the Spirit Sages have.'

"What the hell are you smiling about blondie?!", exclaimed Bickslow while some of his wooden dolls took a shot at Lucy.

Lucy just disappeared and appeared somewhere else, avoiding the relentless magical beams of energy entirely. She kept on reappearing and disappearing just as quickly to avoid Bickslow's attacks.

This was making Bickslow lose his cool. He normally laughs and smiles during a battle, but he wanted to really win this one. He was trying his best to command his dolls to attack Lucy, but he just wasn't fast enough. He couldn't even predict where she'd show up, because it all seems random to him.

'Is she toying with me?', Bickslow asked himself.

Smoke, cinder, charred splintered wood, and confusion was in the air. Bickslow stopped his attacks because he could no longer spot Lucy. He and Laxus as well as Freed were looking everywhere, but they don't know where she went. It's as if she just gave up or disappeared entirely.

"Where the hell are you cosplay girl?", exclaimed Bickslow.

He soon found his answer when all five of his wooden dolls dropped to the ground at the same time.

"My babies!", Bickslow shouted while looking at the cause of what made his flying wooden dolls no longer able to move.

* * *

~ Lucy's POV ~

Lucy appeared; with an obsidian Star-Bow that looked like it was made of both the stars and space and radiating a soft orange aura in her hand but her blue-flames were gone, a few feet away in front of a kneeling Bickslow who was looking distraught and confused at his wooden dolls who were each pierced by what looked like an arrow made out of orange light.

"Do you like my arrows? I'm pretty sure you've guessed it by now, but just in case you didn't, let me tell you what happened. My arrows drove out the wandering souls that you sealed in your dolls. It looks like you have to find new ones.", said Lucy while acting nonchalant.

Bickslow was about to stand up, but Lucy aimed her Star-Bow at him and drew back the string and an arrow made out of orange light magically materialized within milliseconds. The arrow was already notched and she was aiming straight for his chest. Lucy's breathing was steady and so was her aim. Her Star-Archery practice with Jayne payed off.

"Now now now, before you make any sudden moves I suggest you don't. Surrender now or you'll get an arrow in the chest.", said Lucy while looking at all three of the men for any sudden and hostile movements.

"It looks like you've won this time Blondie.", said Laxus with a cocky smirk.

"How come I've got the feeling that you boys won't let this go?", asked Lucy.

"It's because we won't.", answered Freed.

"Then why choose now to stop if you're still going to harass me in the future?", asked Lucy while trying to keep her cool and composure.

"It's because this Guildhall won't be standing for long if our fight continues.", answered Laxus. "This place is a mess. We'll fix things up since we caused this, but just know that this isn't over."

The Star-Bow along with the notched orange arrow of light disappeared in a display of soft orange glowing orbs. Lucy dusted herself off and looked at the three men while smiling. "If it isn't over, then I will accept a formal challenge from you. Just set the time and place and I'll be there. If you can beat me, then I may tell you a secret or two." Lucy turns around and starts walking the other direction while waving goodbye and says, "But, that's if you can beat me." Lucy then disappears into thin air and out of their sight.

* * *

~ Laxus's POV ~

"Was that truly wise, Laxus?", asked Freed.

"Yeah, it'll do for now." Laxus pats Bickslow on the shoulder and says, "Come on, we've got some cleaning to do. And Freed, you can deactivate your runes now. Let's watch and enjoy the aftermath and the bombardment of questions that she'll be getting. It might be fun."

Bickslow picks up his wooden dolls and follows Laxus and Freed to their table on the 2nd floor where they were sitting at earlier.

"I can't believe cosplay girl beat me.", said Bickslow.

"We just didn't know what she was capable of, so we were caught off-guard, but we'll get her next time.", said Freed reassuringly.

* * *

~ Lucy's POV ~

Lucy light-speed traveled to where Evergreen was frozen from neck all the way down to her toes. She appeared in front of her, surprising Evergreen and all of her Guild mates and friends in the process.

"Hey Ever, I'm gonna let you go now.", said Lucy. "I hope this will make you think twice about going along with their plans." Lucy touched the ice with her right index finger and within seconds it turned back to blue-flames and crawled towards Lucy from where she touched it. The blue-flames encircled her finger, hand, arm and her entire body until it died down. Lucy absorbed her blue-flames into her body. Evergreen almost dropped to the floor after all the blue-flames disappeared, but Lucy quickly caught her before she fell.

"I'm impressed that you didn't scream or yell.", said Lucy with a friendly smile.

"It's because I'm more surprised than scared.", said Evergreen looking joyful that she didn't get hurt as much, but regretful for what she did. "And thanks for freeing me and going easy on me."

"You're welcome.", answered Lucy. "No hard feelings."

Lucy walked Evergreen shoulder-to-shoulder and stride-by-stride towards the nearest empty table and sat her down carefully on the wooden bench.

"You'll feel a little bit sleepy, but that's normal.", said Lucy while patting Evergreen's shoulder.

"Thanks, but I don't think I'll get much sleep here.", replied Evergreen.

"Why's that?", asked Lucy.

Evergreen pointed to something behind her. Lucy quickly turned around to see the surprised, curious, happy, and questioning faces of her friends and Guild mates.

"Oh, yeah, that's right. You're all free from Freed's runes now.", said Lucy while scratching the back of her head while a bead of sweat escaped her brow. She smiled and quickly thought of her options and routes for escape and the excuses she's going to use to get her out of this mess.

Natsu, Gray, Levy, Mira, Kelsie, Anna, Jacob, Wendy, Carla, and Happy were the first ones to step forward towards her.

Natsu came closer to her and began to ask, "Lucy, how did you...?", but before he could finish asking his question and before the ruckus started once again, an all-too familiar voice interrupted him and everyone else.

"Hey, you bratty children!", shouted out Master Makarov from the 2nd floor.

Everyone looked at Master Makarov.

"No one's allowed to bother Lucy. If you do, then I'll have to make you do THAT as a punishment. Am I understood?", Master Makarov asked all of them and warning them all at the same time. "Now clean this mess up."

No one spoke up, not even Laxus and Natsu. Master Makarov looked at Lucy and their eyes met, Lucy mouthed a silent, "Thank you Master.", and he smiled and nodded. A silent signal that she knew meant, "You're welcome, now go on home and rest up. You've been through a lot. You deserve it.", or something along those lines.

Everyone glanced at Lucy while they started to clean up the mess that resulted from the earlier brawl and the fight between Lucy and two of the four members of the Thunder God Tribe/Legion.

Lucy started to walk towards the door, not looking at the secret glances that she knew her friends and Guild mates were giving her. She felt exposed, angry, upset, and a little relieved. Before her right hand touched the doors, she felt a tug at her left hand. She felt a warm, pleasant, and soothing sensation from the hand that she knew only belonged to one person that made her feel completely safe. She recognized that touch anywhere, because her skin tingled and her nerves relaxed at his touch. She turned around to see his deep onyx eyes and the worried and handsome look on his face. She felt her knees buckle a little, and the grip he had on her wrist tightened by a few millimeters. Lucy tried to remain stoic, composed, and nonchalant, but her emotions betrayed her. She thought that lying to her Guild and her friends would be easy, but it's easier said than done. She didn't plan on this damned fight with the Thunder God Tribe/Legion, she didn't plan on them finding out about the few of the many new things she can do, she didn't think that her secrets could be this close to being found out.

'I'm more upset and pissed off than I thought.', thought Lucy to herself. Lucy suddenly launched herself at Natsu and hugged him really tightly.

This surprised Natsu and everyone else who was watching the exchange happen. By everyone else, it's everyone in the entire Guildhall. Lucy knew that they were all watching, but she didn't care. She really missed him. His smell, touch, the sound of his voice, everything. She missed him more than she cared to admit. She needed this right now, so she just went for it.

Levy was blushing, Gajeel was smirking, Gray was rubbing the back of his head and looked at the ceiling and was cleaning up debris while trying to ignore the exchange between his two friends and team mates, Happy was about to say something until Carla snapped his mouth shut by pinching his lips together and looking annoyed, Wendy was blushing too, Mirajane was sporting her signature smile with hidden intent, Juvia was looking lovingly and longingly at Gray and was wishing that she was giving him a hug, Elfman was telling Lisanna, "It's manly to be hugged like that and to hug back.", Lisanna was smiling and blushing while glancing upstairs to steal a glance at a certain someone who was fixing up his wooden dolls, and the rest of the Guild had similar reactions. Whistling filled the air and bets were being passed underhandedly, but Natsu and Lucy ignored it all.

Natsu hugged her back and asked her, "Lucy, what's wrong? How did you...?" Natsu felt a warm and cold sensation touch the areas of his body that came into contact with Lucy. He along with everyone in the Guildhall saw something that looked like blue fire appear out of Lucy's body. The blue fire appeared out of different parts of Lucy's body. It looked like it was getting stronger as its flames slowly increased in size and volume, but Natsu didn't feel threatened or scared at all. He didn't let go of her. "Lucy... why are you on fire? What's with the...?"

Lucy's embrace tightened on him which stopped him from uttering the last words of his question. "Natsu, I'm sorry. I can't tell you. I really want to, believe me I really do, but I can't. I don't want to lie to you. So... please... don't ask me. And don't worry about the fire. You can it eat, if you want." Lucy quickly thought to herself, 'Great, now my emotions are everywhere at once. Only he can do this to me... but I feel completely fine with it. I don't mind. Damn you Natsu and your amazingly warm and soothing hugs. I hope my blue-flames taste alright to you.'

"Okay Luce. I won't.", replied Natsu while he instinctively caressed her back to calm her down. "And of course I'll eat the fire. Watching your fight got me really pumped up, but also hungry at the same time." Natsu sucked in the blue fire with gusto and within seconds their no longer coming out of Lucy. The blue fire no longer covered her body. He made sure to eat every single last speck of flame. "That was the most delicious tasting fire that I've ever eaten. Thanks for the meal Luce." Natsu quickly thought to himself, 'That tasted just like smoked ham, but also like vanilla ice cream.'

Lucy smiled at his comment. "You're very welcome. And thank you Natsu. I promise that I'll tell you when the time is right, but right now's not the time. I'm sorry.", added in Lucy. She felt her tears brimming her eyes, almost ready to escape. "I really missed you Natsu. I missed you so much."

"Ummm, I missed you too.", replied Natsu with a confused look on his face. 'She's only been gone a day, right? Why does it sound like she hasn't seen me in months.'

Lucy broke away from the hug but still held onto Natsu's arms and he did the same. Lucy smiled at him and said, "Please come over later. I want you to show up at my place 3 hours from now. Please invite Levy, Cana, Erza, Happy, Carla, Wendy, Gray, and anyone else who wants to come over for dinner at my place. Also, invite Kelsie, Anna, and Jacob. They've got no place to stay at, so they'll be staying at my place until they get a place of their own. They'll be our new Guild mates, so please be nice to them."

"Alright Luce. I'll show up with our friends. We'll be there in time.", said Natsu with a warm smile. "And of course I'll be nice to our new Nakama. We're all family after all."

"Thank you."

"It's no problem Luce. And are you sure you'll be alright with walking home alone?", Natsu asked with obvious concern.

"Yes, I'll be fine. Thanks.", answered Lucy with a bright smile. "I'll see you later."

"I'll see you soon.", added Natsu. 'That blue mark on her cheek looks adorable on her. And her outfit is stunning. She felt much more warmer than normal and she smells differently. Why can't I tell her these things out loud? I'll just have to wait until she's ready to tell me what's happened to her.'

Lucy then waved goodbye at him and her friends, she then turned around, opened the doors with ease and left the Guildhall. Lucy stopped just outside the Guildhall's doors. 'I miss them all so much. I couldn't help but make dinner plans. I need to get ahold of myself. I haven't seen them in a long time. I just need to spend time with all of them until tomorrow afternoon, and then I'll be gone for 2 more days... 2 Earthland days, but for me... it'll be 6 months. And then I'll be back... but still 6 months... damn. I need to spend this time that I have with them to the fullest.' Lucy felt her cheeks redden at the thought of what she just did. 'I can't believe I just did that in front of everyone. Plus, they saw... and they gawked... and I know they were passing bets... and Kelsie, Jacob, and Anna also saw... and... and... OH MY GOSH... I need to get ahold of myself.' Lucy looked at her clothes and her hands. 'Crap, I'm on fire. I need to get myself under control before anyone sees me expelling flames like a bonfire.' Lucy looked and around and was glad that no one was around to see her blue-flames come to life. Lucy calmly took deep breaths to calm herself down. Her heart was beating rapidly. Her blue-flames kept on getting stronger, but within a few moments that felt like minutes have passed, her blue-flames died down. Her heartbeat slowed down, her pulse was steady, and her blue-flames were no longer a problem. 'I'm glad my flames don't incinerate my clothes. Or else, I'd have another really tough problem entirely.' Lucy headed to the direction of her home to prepare for the sudden dinner plans she just made. It's been months since she stepped into her apartment. 'I can't wait to take a shower, dress up, make dinner, and spend some much needed time with my friends. This is going to be a hopefully relaxing and fun dinner. I just hope they won't ask me too many questions... I know they're going to ask me some... I just hope I can handle it...'

* * *

**Hello. How'd you like this Chapter? My Reasons For Being Really Late For This Chapter Update Are Below The Shoutout.**

**I Welcome My New Followers, Favoriters, Reviewers, Readers, Etc. You'll Now Be Included In My Shoutout.**

**This Is A Shoutout To My ****Supporters, Followers, Favoriters, Readers, Reviewers, Etc. Thank You.**

******-** **manic kitty  
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**\- and My Silent Readers**

**\- Thank You All Very Much. I'll Update As Soon As I Can. Thank you all for your ****support.**

* * *

**My Reasons And The Life Changing Events That Have Happened To Me During The Holidays And In The 1st 2 Weeks Of January. It's Your Choice Whether You Want To Read This Or Not. Warning!: There Are Personal And Gloomy Information Here. There Are Some Good Changes Too.**

**Good Changes:**

**\- I'm going back to school. I have to work on some courses to ****get the degree I need, but it'll take a long time. Wish me luck!  
\- I just recently came back to a really good and fun hobby that I enjoy.  
\- I'm trying to get a job. I hope I get one.  
\- I'm trying to put more of my energy into different activities like reading, studying, writing, because of the next group of things that happened.  
**

**Bad And Really Gloomy Changes:**

**\- I just got over a really annoying flu during the Holidays.  
****\- Two of my family members passed in a span of the 1st 2 weeks of January.  
****\- My girlfriend broke up with me.  
**

**What I Think And Feel About The Changes: (The order of it all may be erratic.)**

**\- I have a lot of pent up stress that is now subsiding thanks to me putting my energy into different and positive things.  
\- Life is very precious and we all have loved ones who are very near and dear to us. My two family members lived a long and full life. It's still sad that they passed on, but my family's going to move on and cherish the memories we spent with them.  
\- The hobby is fun and it helps take my mind off of things.  
\- Reading and Writing takes me to a different world. A means of escape, if you will. My own personal oasis from this reality. At least, I'm trying to be creative and keep myself busy.  
\- Going back to studying will be time consuming, but I'm kind of excited.  
\- Being sick for more than 2 weeks during the Holidays was the ****worst. I ate awesome and delicious holiday foods, but I couldn't eat as much as I wanted to.  
\- I don't want to make it awkward by mentioning my personal relationship, but I guess it was a mutual break up. We're still friends to a certain small degree. All I can say about it here is that, "I never knew people fell out of love with each other." That's all I can and want to say about it. I'm slowly getting better. Breakups are hard. I've already consumed my fair share of chocolate, but now I'm craving ice cream. I'll be fine. I just need Time + More Chocolate + Ice Cream + to get rid of my pent up stress and energy through positive activities + Movies + TV Shows + Anime + FanFiction + Talking to my family + Talking to my friends + To chat with a new and awesome friend + Exercise + To Look On The Bright Side Of Things = Me Being My Normal Self Again. I'm Almost There. Now here comes the cheesy Movie/TV Show quote: "It's better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all." I now understand and believe this quote.**

**\- Thank you for reading up to this far. I'll Update As Soon As I Can.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Author's Note: Yeah, I know. It's been a long time since I've updated. I apologize. Life is difficult. I, however, won't ever give up on my stories. I promise that they'll be updated. It just takes awhile for me to get the story rolling at times. This story is way way way far from being over, in fact... it's only just begun... :) Don't fret, despair, or be down and out, because my stories aren't going anywhere. Expect updates to be sporadic and ****unpredictable, just like life.**

**Now unto the story...**

**P.S. - This is part 1 of Ch.12. There will be a part 2.**

**2nd P.S. - It's kind of slow, but hey, it's about time I give you a sort of slow and filler type chapter. Lucy can't be fighting all the time. She needs a break too.**

**This is for you Fairy Nee-chan, &amp; also my other readers.  
**

* * *

**Chapter Twelve: Dinner At Lucy's  
**

**~ Begins Inside Lucy's Apartment ~  
**

* * *

~ Narrator's Voice ~

Lucy was not whelmed... she was excited, jittery, full of energy, but right now, she didn't feel calm at all. She was feeling overwhelmed. The reason for this was very obvious and simple... It's because she was preparing not just a dinner... but a feast for who knows how many people that were coming over to her house... apartment. She just hoped that she'd be able to make the right amount of food with the time slot that she gave herself.

* * *

~ Lucy's POV ~

Lucy was walking frantically; or was it speed-walking, through her kitchen while fixing up and prepping the ingredients for the different meals that she's planning to make. The moment she entered her apartment, she changed to a regular white tee, black short shorts, put on a white &amp; blue floral apron, tied up her hair in a high ponytail, and called on Cross; using the silver key that her 1st Spirit Sage instructor gave her, to help her with the cooking, and then, they promptly started preparing the feast.

"Lucy... I'm glad I gave you my key and all, but this 1st task that you're having me do... wasn't exactly what crossed my mind at all when you called me for the 1st time.", said Cross, as she was cutting and peeling all sorts of vegetables on the kitchen counter. The wooden cutting board and her sharp kitchen knife's rhythmic cuts echoing through the kitchen. Cross was wearing a blue tee, black &amp; red short shorts, and a white &amp; red floral apron. Her luscious blonde hair was tied up in a high ponytail, mirroring Lucy's ponytail.

"I know. I'm sorry Cross. It's just that I want to make my friends a feast. I want to socialize and catch up with them. I haven't seen them in a long time, so I want to make up for that lost time. You know what I mean?", replied Lucy, as she was standing in the middle of the living/dining room area, preparing to cast a spell.

"It's alright. I can't really complain. This relaxing atmosphere was just what I needed anyways.", said Cross, a small smile appearing on her face. "I'll continue cutting the greens over here while you focus on that spell of yours. If what I heard from you earlier was correct, then this place needs all the space it can get."

"Okay, thanks.", replied Lucy, with a grateful smile. "I'm happy that I've got your help."

"Always.", added Cross under her breath, her small smile still lingering afterwards.

After a considerable amount of time, Lucy's built up concentration and focus was reached. She remembers the words that Jayne told her about Constellation Magic, helping her increase her concentration.

_"Hey Lucy, stay still... I want you to raise any of your 10 Golden Zodiac Gate Keys, and whichever you bring out, we'll focus on that __specific Gate Key... good choice, you picked Capricorn's Gate Key. Now, let me tell you what type of Magic his Gate Key has. You already know from what I've told you about each of the Golden Zodiac Keys, right?... Yes, that's correct. Each of the Gate Keys of the Zodiac have a special kind of Magic that can be tapped into once the proper incantation has been said, and the right amount of Magic Power has been concentrated into it, as well as the proper understanding of the type of Magic within the Gate Key... Capricorn's Gate Key has Spatial Reality Magic within it. That confusing look on your face is all I need to know that you don't know what that is... in simpler words, it's a type of Magic that can bend the spatial area in reality... you've still got a confused look on your face, yes, it's that obvious. Okay, let me give you a really really simple explanation. Imagine a room that's 20 feet by 20 feet and 40 feet in height from the floor to the ceiling. Now picture it from the outside, and it seems small, just like the space inside, right?... Now, if you use the Spatial Reality Magic in Capricorn's Gate Key, you can increase the space inside that room, without increasing the relative outside space of the room from the outside. That 20 feet by 20 feet by 40 feet room can then become a 50 feet by 50 feet by 80 feet or larger room, depending on how much Magic Power you use... You can keep it a permanent change or a temporary one that'll last a single day... And yes, it's not just limited to a small room. You can even use it to increase the storage space of a small purse, and whatever else you can think of. The limit to this is the amount of Magic Power you use, and the limits of your imagination... Just don't go crazy with it... Oh yeah, before I forget, this spell can only be cast at least once a week. You'll be using a large portion of your Magic Power, and also Capricorn's Magic Power. You won't be able to call on him for the remainder of that week, but you can still talk to him... Don't forget anything that I've told you..."_

Lucy promptly raises Capricorn's Golden Gate Key in front of her, with both of her hands' index and middle fingers clutching the metal bow of the key, the tip pointing towards the ceiling. One of the numerous incantations that she memorized and repeated an innumerable amount of times came out of her mouth, her voice tripled in fervor and volume as the words of power came rolling out of her mouth,

**"Golden Goat,**

**Key Of The Zodiac,**

**Lend Me Your Power,**

**Lend Me Your Magic,**

**Bend Reality As If A Mere Puppeteer,**

**Space Is But An Illusion,**

**With Your Power,**

**It Is But A Plaything,**

**It Is Yours To Bend And Shape,**

**Change And Form,**

**Lend Me That Power,**

**To Do With It As I Please,**

**Spatium Flectere!"**

After the incantation, the Golden Gate Key that Lucy held started glowing a radiant golden glow. Lucy closed her eyes, for she knew what was about to happen. Cross didn't have to close her eyes, having already been accustomed to the bright lights that resulted from the powerful spells that the Spirit Sages; like herself, invoked countless of times before. The radiant golden glow enveloped the entirety of the apartment for a few seconds, and then, it vanished. In its trace, it left Lucy's apartment looking larger than it was supposed to be. The height from the floor to the ceiling was approximately 2 stories tall. The distance from wall to wall was 3 times the size of her apartment. Her kitchen became... larger than it was earlier, but both Lucy and Cross didn't mind. The living/dining room area could easily fit in half of the Wizards in Fairy Tail. Lucy pocketed Capricorn's Golden Gate Key and surveyed her enlarged apartment.

Her bed, clothes in her dresser, clothes in her closet, the food in and outside her pantry, fridge, and freezer, and the miscellaneous items all around her apartment, were all; thankfully, not affected. However, her bed, dresser, closet, pantry, fridge, freezer, bathroom, dining table, kitchen, was affected and thusly enlarged; but in her dining table's case, it was lengthened, just like she planned. And she was gracious and grateful that her toilet wasn't enlarged... or that would've been a really awkward sight to behold. Although, she didn't plan on the bathtub to become as large as a patio jacuzzi, but thankfully it looked..., at least in her opinion, really nice. The shower head was its normal size, but her bathroom mirror was now a full sized body mirror... she wasn't going for that at all, but she liked it. Though in her mind she thought, 'Yeahhh, obviously I still need more work with this type of magic.'

After checking everything, and chuckling at the normal sized door to her now-disproportionate apartment, she made her way to Cross, of whom was already finished with slicing and dicing all the vegetables.

"Hey Cross, what do you think?", asked Lucy, a victorious smile plastered on her face.

Cross returned the smile while brining out the heaps of meat from the freezer. "Congratulations. The spell was nicely done, though I did sense some abnormalities, but I know you'll get the hang of it. The kitchen counter lengthened and it didn't get any taller, which I am very thankful for. The stove looks normal, that's good." Cross surveys the kitchen, before turning her gaze back to Lucy. "This place feels more spacious and homey. And to me, it looks and feels more comfortable."

"Thanks.", replied Lucy. "I'm glad that you like it as much as I do."

"You're welcome Lucy. I call it as I see it." Cross then kept on piling the plastic covered frozen meats inside the kitchen sink, before asking something that's been nagging at the back of her mind as soon as she opened Lucy's freezer. "Hey Lucy, I have a quick question. I understand the vegetables, but why in the world do you have this much succulent meat in your freezer?", asked Cross, looking curiously at the piles of frozen meat that she's defrosting in the enlarged kitchen sink.

"You'll understand why as soon as you meet our Guild's Dragon Slayers. They have quite a scary appetite.", answered Lucy. "They drop by my house so often that I decided I might as well have some food stored around, so they won't whine or annoy me when they get hungry."

"Hmmm...", Cross hummed, looking thoughtful while trying to think of the next sentence to say to her friend. 'Ahhh... that's it.', she finally surmised. "Lucy, you have a housewife's train of thought."

"...ehhhhhhhhhh!", shouted Lucy, the color of crimson making it's way up her cheeks. "W-W-What makes you s-s-say that?!"

"I'm sorry Lucy, but you mentioned to the Spirit Sages, including me, about a certain Fire Dragon Slayer who keeps on breaking into your house. He's the one who keeps visiting you, and you secretly enjoy it. Don't deny it. Whenever you do talk about him, there's always a smile on your face that's as clear as day.", answered Cross, with a teasing smile on her face. "He sometimes even _sleeps_ in your bed, _with _you. You _cook_ him meals. You _scold_ him when he gets into trouble. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were already a couple."

"I-I-I don't know what you're talking about.", denied Lucy, turning her head to the side, and crossing her arms over her chest, the blush on her cheeks intensifying.

"Deny all you want, future Mrs. Dragneel.", teased Cross.

Lucy's face was still covered in a heavy blush, but she quickly moved towards the kitchen, heating up the pots and pans on the stove tops. With her back turned to Cross, she was subtly fanning herself, trying to calm down her blush, but as she touched her cheeks, she felt the all-too familiar warm and icy tingling sensation on her cheeks. She grabbed the nearest pan cover, and looked into its reflective steel surface. What she saw calmed her down, but she was still annoyed. The navy blue emblem on her right cheek was glowing a radiant blue glow, and her eyes looked like they were burning; the blue-flames danced within her irises. 'At least I'm not on fire... and I'm glad I'm not freezing anything with my touch.', she thought to herself, while exhaling a relieved breath of air. 'The glowing in the emblem and the fire in my eyes should disappear soon. I just need to keep control of my emotions. I can do this.', she encouraged herself inwardly.

"Hey, Lucy?"

"Yeah."

"Thanks for lending me some of your clothes.", thanked Cross, as she was slicing and dicing the assortment of meats on a different cutting board. The empty plastic coverings piled up on the other side of kitchen sink, ready to be thrown out after her cutting ministrations.

"You're welcome. We're basically the same size, and the outfits we wore earlier weren't exactly proper cooking attire.", replied Lucy.

"You can say that again.", added Cross, before letting out a soft chuckle.

"Hey, Cross?"

"Yeah."

"Do you want me to introduce you to my friends as my... long-lost older sister...?"

After hearing those words, Cross stopped her ministrations, placing down her kitchen knife on top of the cutting board, before turning around to look at Lucy. "What?", asked Cross, confusion bubbling within her thoughts.

Lucy turned around to face her fellow blonde, a smile gracing her face; her blush almost gone, before she answered, "I just thought of it since..., we look kind of alike..., we're both Celestial Spirit Wizards..., and you've taught me a lot of amazing things..., and we're both blonde..., and we both use whips as our main go-to weapons..."

Before Lucy could continue, she was cut off by Cross's shushing gesture placed on her lips. Cross put her right index finger in front of her lips, telling Lucy to stop, before a big smile appeared on the taller blonde woman's face. "Lucy, we do look almost exactly alike. Our complexion are both flawless and similar. We have the same golden blonde hair color, though my hair is a little longer. I am a few inches taller than you, but that's irrelevant. Our chest sizes and waist sizes are exact. Even though our fighting styles differ, we both do use the same main weapons. We are powerful Celestial Spirit Wizards. _And_, we do know a lot about each other..., _And_ I did teach you a lot of useful things..., _plus_ I already tease you like how an older sister teases their younger siblings..." Cross tilted her head to the right, her right hand placed under her chin in a thinking pose.

"So, what do you say?", asked Lucy, a little bit hesitant and anxious to hear her friend's answer.

Lucy, however, didn't get a verbal answer. What she got instead was what 85% of her mind expected and predicted. Cross lunged at her before she could react, and Lucy was quickly enveloped in a bone-crushing hug. It took Lucy a few seconds before she returned the hug in earnest. Through all their times spent together when they were in the Celestial Spirit World, Lucy quickly found out that Cross was a woman of action, even though her mixture of words held a certain eloquence and beauty. Cross had a gentle yet firm voice that can be changed in both volume and intensity to make her sound more intimidating, and by the lights of the constellations as her witnesses, Cross can sound very intimidating and lethal when provoked. But at these critical moments when Cross let her actions speak her words, Lucy felt more connected to her friend and her now new older sister.

"I'd be very honored and happy to be your older sister.", said Cross, a bright smile on her face. "What brought this brilliant idea to pop up in your head?"

"Well, you know how I have to keep the secret about me being a Celestial Sentinel that's being trained by a group of Spirit Sages; one of them being you?"

"Yeah."

"So, I thought that this would be a better idea, since I can't exactly explain how I met you in the Spirit World, how I have your Spirit Key, and how you're a Spirit Sage and one of my instructors."

"That's true."

"And since I've always wanted a sister, then why not? Right? And besides, we're basically sisters already."

"You've got a point.", answered Cross, releasing Lucy from her tight embrace. "I'm going to be the best big sister ever."

"I know you will.", added Lucy. "Now come on, let's finish cooking all this food."

"You've got it, Little Lucy.", replied Cross, after turning back to continue cutting the defrosted meat. "Hey, Lucy?"

"What's up?", replied Lucy, as she was turning the heating dials on the stove, making sure the oil on the pans don't burn and the water in the pots don't over-boil. 'Little Lucy, sounds like a cute and likable little sister nickname from my older sister.', she thought to herself, a joyous smile brightening her face.

"We need more chairs on the dining table.", Cross answered.

"I'll get Virgo to bring us more chairs."

"Good plan. Do you have enough glasses and tableware?"

"I have 30 sets of them."

Cross whistles, before lightheartedly saying, "I guess that answers that."

"What's to drink?", Cross asked.

"I've got three 2 liter pitchers in one of my cupboards. I've also got three 2 liter bottles of sparkling apple cider too. We can make pink-lemonade, pineapple, and Hawaiian punch to fill up the pitchers."

"Sounds delicious. Let's make them the best damn feast they'll ever taste."

"You can count on it."

"Before I forget, what's our cover story for how you met me?"

"..." Lucy's eyes widened in realization. Not a single word could escape her mouth. 'How the heck did I forget that?!', she inwardly yelled at herself.

"Little Lucy?..." 'She must be feeling stressed right now.', Cross thought to herself.

"..."

"Let's just think of that later, then... alright?", suggested Cross.

Finally finding her voice, Lucy answered, "Yeah, let's just worry about that later."

* * *

~ Narrator's Voice ~

After an hour and a half of cooking and setting up the dining table with Virgo's help, Lucy and Cross were finished. The food was ready, set up in the center of the table under a couple of Fire Lacrimas, to help it simmer and keep it heated, while the pan and pot coverings kept in the heat and moisture. The tableware was set up, the chairs were in place, the pitchers filled with juice were perfectly mixed and cooled, and the lighting was perfect. All that's left was for Lucy and Cross to shower and dress up in normal attire, because they doubted that tees, aprons, and short shorts were appropriate attire to meet anyone for dinner.

* * *

~ Lucy's POV ~

Lucy and Cross spent the remainder of their time dressing up and fixing their hair after their respective showers. When they were done, they both looked extremely gorgeous. Even though they were wearing normal attire, they looked like they were ready to go out shopping or to go out to eat at a restaurant. In their case, Lucy's apartment was now the size of a small restaurant, and the feast they prepared was enough to feed at most 35 fully grown adults. Though, Lucy and Cross doubted that there would be anything left afterwards. They did cook up a delicious, tasty, and scrumptious looking feast after all. And they're all for Fairy Tail Wizards no less, old &amp; new. The smell of their soon to be meal wafted through the air, making their stomachs hunger for the supper they prepared. If it weren't for their patience and amazing willpower, the two Celestial Spirit Wizards would've consumed what they could after cooking the restaurant-styled meal.

"Cross, how do I look?", asked Lucy, twirling around so Cross could take a good look at her outfit for the night.

Lucy had her hair combed down, the tips reaching the lowest part of the middle of her back. She was wearing a black t-shirt with the Fairy Tail Guild's Emblem on the front and the back in silver &amp; white, blue fitted jeans, fuzzy blue &amp; white socks, and black converse sneakers. Underneath it all, she wore a yellow lacy brassiere and matching lacy underwear.

"You look splendid, Little Lucy.", replied Cross, with a smile. "And didn't I tell you to call me Big Sis, or Cross Sis, or Cross Nee-chan, or Sister?"

"Okay, okay, I'll use one of those. And thanks Cross Nee-chan.", said Lucy, a happy smile brightening her face.

"Now that's the spirit, Little Lucy.", replied Cross, with her smile getting brighter. "How about my outfit? How do I look?", she asked, doing the same twirl around as her little sister.

Cross also had her hair combed down, the tips reaching the small of her back, an inch above her waistline. She was wearing a white t-shirt with the emblem of 12 Golden Gate Keys on a black starry night sky background emblazoned on the front and back of the t-shirt, black fitted jeans, fuzzy green &amp; purple socks, and white converse sneakers. Underneath her outfit, she wore a purple lacy brassiere and matching lacy underwear.

"Beautiful.", answered Lucy.

"How come that was just a one-word answer?", Cross asked suspiciously, with a teasing tone in her voice.

"That's because any guy would be too awestruck to say anything else. You look far more desirable than I do. And you're wearing my clothes.", said Lucy in a very sheepish voice.

"Pshhhhh, don't even say things like that. I'm sure _Natsu_ would like what you're wearing.", said Cross, putting an extra emphasis on Natsu's name. "And we're sisters, so sharing is caring."

"Yeah, you're right. And... if only that dense idiot could get a clue...", Lucy agreed, before exhaling a deep sigh. However, she didn't notice that the last sentence left her mouth. She only thought that it was her consciousness speaking out.

"Hahaha, I'm glad that you're finally admitting to your feelings.", Cross laughed out, placing a hand on Lucy's left shoulder.

"Wait, what?...", asked Lucy.

But before Cross could say anything, there was a knock at the door.

"Come on, Little Lucy. Let's greet our guests. You still need to introduce me to all of them.", said Cross. But before she rushed towards the door, she winked at Lucy while giving her a bright smile.

After a few seconds passed, Lucy soon followed after her fellow blonde. "You need to tell me what you were laughing about a few seconds ago.", Lucy said in a hushed tone.

"If you remind me, then I'll tell you.", Cross replied. "Now open the door, you're the main host after all. You mustn't keep our guests waiting."

Lucy smiles at Cross's obvious excitement at meeting other people. 'She has been stuck in the Celestial Spirit World for a long time. I'm happy for her. She'll finally get to meet other people.', Lucy thought to herself happily.

Lucy opened the door to her apartment, and on the other side of it was none other than her favorite blunette scholar.

"Hey Luce."

"Hey Levy, why aren't I surprised that you're the first one here?", greeted Lucy, with a bright smile on her face. Lucy then envelops the Solid-Script Wizard in a gentle yet tight embrace. "I missed you."

With a slightly confused, yet happy look on her face, Levy returns the hug. "I missed you too. And It's not everyday I get to eat dinner at your house."

"True. Now come on inside. Don't let the new appearance of my apartment spook you.", said Lucy, welcoming Levy into her apartment.

As Levy stepped into the apartment, confused at what her best friend just told her, the confusion was short-lived as she took in the apartment. Lucy's apartment was bigger... larger than the last time that she's been in there. She was too engrossed with the enlarged apartment that she didn't notice the other blonde woman beside her.

* * *

~ Cross's POV ~

'Wow, this Levy girl is cute. I don't think she noticed me though, even though I'm only one feet away from her.', Cross thought to herself. 'I was wide-eyed and awestruck too when I first saw the results of Spatial Reality Magic. I'll let her gawk and stare for a few more seconds. She looks cute like this anyways, although she's totally oblivious to those around her. I'm fine with that.' A smile appeared on Cross's face, while she's admiring the blunette's admiration for Lucy's enlarged apartment.

"Hey Luce, how did this happen to your apartment?", Levy asked with wonderment.

"I'll explain it to everyone once they get here.", Lucy replied.

A knock on the door drew Lucy's attention from her blue-haired best friend. This was the moment that Cross was waiting for.

Cross stepped in front of Levy and held out her right hand, before saying, "Hi there. My name's Cross. Lucy will tell you why I'm here as soon as all the guests have arrived." After having said those words, Cross inwardly told herself, 'Nice job girl. That was a good introduction. Don't be too boring, don't be too brash, don't be too awkward, just be your nice, fun-loving, awesome self.'

In the background, they could scarcely hear, "Hey Mira, Elfman, Lisanna..." However, they were too focused on each other to listen to the conversation.

Levy focused on the blonde woman in front of her and tilted her head a little before shaking her hand. "Hi, I'm Levy. Lucy's best friend. You may not sound like her, but you look a lot like her."

"Why thank you, I'm happy to hear that. Let's move on to the dining area, since the entrance might get pretty crowded soon.", Cross suggested, after their friendly handshake ended.

"Sure, lead ahead." Levy followed the tall blonde woman in earnest, as she wondered why she was here. Although, she thought, 'Any new friend of Lucy's is a new friend of mine. She seems nice too, so that's a plus.'

Cross sat on one of the chairs around the horizontally elongated dining table, Levy joining her on her right.

"Wow! Did you two make all of this?!", Levy asked, after she scanned the entirety of the dining table. There were food trays filled with all matters of food ranging from shrimp fried rice, sour &amp; sweet chicken, orange chicken, steamed dumplings with a side of sweetened carrots, vegetable lo mien, steak, halibut, baked alaska, to jasmine rice. There were also pots filled with chicken noodle soup, vegetable soup, and chicken adobo. The pitchers filled with juice were strategically placed for everyone's convenience, so that anyone from either side of the dining table could easily reach one of the pitchers. The plates were set up along with the glasses and tableware perfectly. Virgo, Lucy, and Cross took a few minutes to admire their gorgeous placements, because it just looked so damn perfect. After their few minutes of admirations, Cross and Lucy silently thanked Duet for teaching them how to properly set up a table perfectly while Virgo said her good byes for now to the both of them, before disappearing in a puff of smoke.

"Yeah, we did. Lucy wanted to make a feast for us all, so we did our best. I hope there'll be enough for everyone."

At that moment, a trio sat down around the dining table, across from both Levy and Cross. Cross looked at them and smiled, for she suspected that they were the Strauss siblings that Lucy mentioned a few times before.

"Hello.", said a young and vibrant looking woman with long white hair, gorgeous blue eyes, a red &amp; pink dress, matching heels, and flawless pale-white skin. "I'm Mirajane. But you can just call me Mira."

"It's a pleasure to meet you Mira. I'm Cross."

"My name's Lisanna. It's nice to meet you.", greeted the younger and petite woman next to Mirajane. This young woman had the same blue eyes like her older sister and the same white hair, but it was cut short. She also had the same flawless pale-white skin. 'The hairstyles on both these two look amazing. They're gorgeous.', Cross thought to herself. Lisanna wore a comfy looking blue striped sweater, black jeans, and a pair of white &amp; black checkers-patterned sneakers.

"It's a pleasure to meet you too." Cross then shifted her gaze to the very tall, large, muscular man with tan colored skin. He was wearing a white &amp; green plaid long-sleeved shirt with black dress pants, and leather shoes. The two top buttons on his shirt were unbuttoned, showing the white t-shirt he wore inside. "And you must be Elfman, Lucy's told me a lot about most of you."

"That's right. It's a Man to talk about your friends with those who you're close to.", said Elfman. However, this earned him a playful punch from Mira.

"So Cross, you look a lot like Lucy, what's the story there?", asked Lisanna with the same curiosity as Levy.

"Don't worry. Lucy and I will tell you once everyone arrives.", answered Cross. "So, who else should be here?"

"We'll just have to wait and see.", said Mirajane, with a bright smile. "Would it be alright if I grab a drink? I'm kind of thirsty."

"Be my guest. We can talk and drink a little bit before everyone else comes.", suggested Cross. 'I hope this situation doesn't become awkward. At least, I'm doing well so far.', Cross inwardly praised herself.

* * *

Part 1 of Dinner At Lucy's Ends Here... Part 2 Will Be Out As Soon As Possible.

* * *

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